Get involved
Donate your time to help make this year’s festival a success!
Volunteer
You can help us pull off this event without becoming a sponsor!
Follow the instructions below to volunteer your time to the Emerald Isle Irish Feile.
The success of the Emerald Isle Irish Féile depends on our many dedicated volunteers. We always welcome new volunteers who are hard-working, flexible and know how to have fun! All Emerald Isle Irish Féile volunteers will receive tokens of appreciation for the time they volunteer, according to the amount of time they contribute.
- Those volunteering 2-5 hours will receive a Féile tee shirt.
- Those with 6-9 hours of volunteering will receive a Féile tee shirt and One half off on a weekend pass.
- Volunteers who commit to 10+ hours will receive a tee shirt and a weekend pass for the Féile.
We have many different types of Volunteer Roles available. To help you find the role that is best suited to you please click through the Volunteer Role descriptions below;
BEFORE THE FESTIVAL
Lead our Festival Set-up Team to ensure the creation of a smooth and efficient Festival Framework from which to support the festivities!
Roles and Responsibilities:
As well as being a hands-on Set-up Team member you will also be responsible for leading a small team of Festival Set-up Team Members. You will be responsible for delegating tasks and ensuring a timely delivery of our festival infrastructure framework.
Qualifications:
- Excellent communication skills
- Excellent time management skills
- Light construction experience essential
- Moderate lifting in teams
- Must be able to lift 30lbs
Lead our Festival Set-up Planning and Operations.
Roles and Responsibilities:
As well as being a hands on Set-up Team member you will also be responsible for leading our Festival Set-up Planning and Operations through your role on the BIIHG Talent, Scheduling & Logistics Committee. As part of your role on the Committee you will be required to participate in strategic oversight, planning, and have direct responsibility for onsite operation and tactical support throughout the entirety of the festival for your area.
Qualifications:
- Excellent communication skills
- Excellent time management skills
- Light construction experience essential
- Moderate lifting in teams
- Must be able to lift 30lbs
- Must have own vehicle and drivers license
- Must be available to attend monthly Committee Meetings throughout the year and bi-weekly and weekly meetings as the Festival date approaches
- Must be available before, during and after the Festival, and provide year round support to the Board as needed
Specific Areas of the Festival:
- Holy Cross Hall/Convent Green
- Currach Area
- Green(e) Farm
- Community Center
- Arranmore Grotto
Bring our festival to life by helping to create the framework for our merriment.
Roles and Responsibilities:
Transporting, assembling and arranging materials and equipment for various venues, including, platforms, barricades, folding chairs and tables, and tents.
Qualifications:
- Moderate lifting in teams
- Must be able to lift 30lbs
- Light construction experience is desirable but not required.
Notes:
Bring work gloves and a power drill with charger, if available
Wear appropriate clothing and shoes for light construction.
Help bring the Festival to life by hanging all the signs that let people know what’s what.
Roles and Responsibilities:
As a member of the Set-Up Team you will be responsible for hanging all the signs, banners and posters at various venues and locations.
Qualifications:
- Must be able to lift 30 lbs
- Must be a motivated/hard worker who can take direction from the Festival Set-up Lead(s) and execute
- Must be able to kneel frequently to set zip ties
- Must have own vehicle and drivers license
- Must be available before and during the Festival
Bring our festival to life by helping to decorate the Holy Cross Hall.
Roles and Responsibilities:
Transporting, assembling and arranging materials to decorate the Holy Cross Hall, including Hearth decoration, flags, bunting, table decoration
Qualifications:
- Moderate lifting in teams
- Must be able to lift 30lbs
- Must be able to climb and work on a ladder
Maintain and uphold the beauty of our Arranmore Grotto ready for our Sunday Mass.
Roles and Responsibilities:
Light landscaping, watering, weeding, trash clean up as necessary.
Qualifications:
- Moderate lifting in teams
- Must be able to kneel frequently
- Must have own vehicle and drivers license
- Must be available before and during the Festival
Our merch isn’t going to sell itself! Help us ensure our Merchandise Area at the BIC Center is inventoried, merchandised and priced ready for the opening day of the Festival.
Responsibilities include:
Taking inventory of merchandise as it is unpacked. Pricing individual items and merchandising the goods on display.
Qualifications:
- Moderate lifting in teams
- Must be able to lift 30lbs
Are you passionate about creating a memorable experience for our valued donors? Want to be a part of the event that kicks off the whole festival? Our Calling of the Clans Dinner is an invite only event for Clan Members and Sponsors who donated to our Calling of the Clans Fundraiser back in March 2024!
Responsibilities include:
Food preparation and service: this may require using a knife. Preparing and maintaining hot and cold dinner service from the Hall kitchen by way of a strolling buffet for guests. Washing dishes and maintaining a clean kitchen area. Ensuring the bathrooms are fully stocked and clean.
Qualifications:
- Excellent communication skills
- Excellent time management skills
- Team Player
- Must be able to lift 30lbs
DURING THE FESTIVAL
Do you have a knack for retail and customer service? Volunteer at the BIC Center and send guests home with keepsakes from their visit to the Emerald Isle Irish Feile.
Responsibilities include:
- Providing excellent customer service to guests
- Keeping merchandise stocked and displays tidy
- Taking inventory of merchandise
- No point of sale or collecting payment necessary as this is handled by the staff at the BIC Center
Qualifications:
- Excellent communication skills
- Excellent time management skills
- Must be able to lift 30lbs
Be one of the first smiling faces our guests see when they collect their Festival Tickets from the Registration Booth at the BIC Center. The tent is located on the sidewalk just outside the BIC Center main entrance on Main Street and is there to provide guests with a place to register their attendance and collect their Festival wristband or Sponsor pass(es)
Responsibilities include:
Being an ambassador for the Emerald Isle Irish Festival by being welcoming and helpful. Providing wristbands, programs and schedules for the Festival to guests. Assisting the Information Attendant by answering guest questions.
Qualifications:
- Excellent communication and customer service skills
- Excellent at working under pressure; the Registration Tent can get quite busy at times, especially when the boat gets in.
Be one of the first smiling faces our guests see when they collect their Festival Tickets from the Registration Booth at the BIC Center. The tent is located on the sidewalk just outside the BIC Center main entrance on Main Street and is there to provide guests with a place to register their attendance and collect their Festival wristband or Sponsor pass(es)
Responsibilities include:
Your main role is that of Ambassador for the Emerald Isle Irish Feile and welcoming our guests to Beaver Island. Provide programs and schedules to guests and answer questions about dining, parking, shuttles and venue locations.
Qualifications:
- Excellent communication and customer service skills
- Excellent at working under pressure; the Registration Tent can get quite busy at times, especially when the boat gets in.
Help the Festival really shine by helping run one of our specialist Areas/Activities.
Responsibilities include:
Children’s Area – Help set-up and run the children’s area located on the Convent Green. Monitoring the games and activities and giving out prizes. Assist the Lead with tear-down at the end of the event.
St Bridgid’s Cross Area – Help set-up and run the St Brigid’s Cross making tent at the Jewell Gillespie Park. Assist the Lead with decorating the tent and preparing the reeds and instructional information for our guest. During the event you will assist the Lead who will provide instruction on how to make the cross and you will assist guests where needed.
Green(e) Farm – This year the Green(e) Farm will play host to a very special unplugged session by the Byrne Brothers. There will also be the opportunity for guests to tour this historic home. You will form a small team that will ensure this event is executed in a safe, and timely manner, with as little disturbance to the Green(e) Family property as possible. Tasks include: setting up lawn chairs, parking attendant, runner for Artists and Leadership Team, crowd control and tear-down.
Qualifications:
- Moderate lifting in teams
- Must be able to lift 30lbs
- Must be a motivated/hard worker who can take direction from the Festival Set-up Lead(s) and execute.
Currach is an Irish tradition that has been revived once more on Beaver Island thanks to our friends at the Currach Club of Milwaukee. Carry the torch for our Island Club and ensure our Currach Club Races are a memorable addition to the Feile!
Responsibilities include:
Lead the set up of the Currach Area at the Jewell Gillespie Park. As lead you are responsible for overseeing the transportation of the boat to the race area, decorating the tent, setting up tables and prizes, keeping records of all paperwork required for guest rowing, sound and MCing the races and tear-down of the Currach Area. Should you need additional assistance you will be responsible for recruiting extra members of the Currach Club and delegating responsibilities.
Qualifications:
- Excellent communication and organizational skills.
- Excellent time management skills; the Currach Area is a lively place during races and you will need to manage the schedule as well as the crowd.
- Confident public speaker, capable of operating a portable PA system.
- Moderate lifting in teams
- Must be able to lift 30lbs
AFTER THE FESTIVAL
Lead our Festival Tear-down Team to ensure the Festival Infrastructure is dismantled and stored as smoothly and as quickly as possible!
Roles and Responsibilities:
As well as being a hands-on Set-up Team member you will also be responsible for leading a small team of Festival Tear-down Team Members. You will be responsible for delegating tasks and ensuring a timely pack-up of our festival infrastructure framework.
Qualifications:
- Excellent communication skills
- Excellent time management skills
- Light construction experience essential
- Moderate lifting in teams
- Must be able to lift 30lbs
All good things must come to an end…until next year! Help disassemble the Festival infrastructure and pack it up for storage.
Responsibilities include:
Disassembling and packing up materials and equipment for various venues. Loading and transporting materials and equipment to storage. Making sure we’re leaving all Feile venues and Beaver Island in pristine condition!
Qualifications:
- Moderate lifting in teams
- Must be able to lift 30lbs
- Light construction experience is desirable but not required.
Notes:
Bring work gloves and a power drill with charger, if available
Wear appropriate clothing and shoes for light construction.
To sign up for a volunteer role please follow the link to our sign up form where you will see specific dates and times for each of our available roles.
Go raibh maith agat: Thank You!
Contact The Volunteer Coordinator
If you have questions about any of the positions or need accommodations, please don’t hesitate to contact us!
Name | Linda Wearn
Email | lindawearn@gmail.com