All roads lead to Mattawa over the July 22nd to 24th weekend, as thousands come to town to experience Voyageur Days, a three-day gala of music and events. Friday night features new country sounds, whereas Saturday is for the rockers. Sunday is dedicated to tribute bands, so the weekend is filled with some mondo talent.
See: Mattawa is ready to party! Voyageur Days return
Plus, there are activities occurring throughout the days as well, most of which are free for families to enjoy. The weekend is jam packed, and it takes a lot of people power to ensure everything runs smoothly. Hence, the need for volunteers.
With apologies to Uncle Sam, Voyageur Days wants you! There are many volunteer positions available, and Renee Paquette, Mattawa’s recreation manager, reminds all that these positions offer “a great opportunity for students to get their community services volunteer hours.” But everyone is welcome to lend a hand, regardless of age, or the need to complete mandatory community service hours.
And those hours will fly by when you sign on as a stagehand, setting up speakers, lighting, and the stage itself. After some time on this beat, you won’t just be singing Motorhead’s “We are the Road Crew”—you’ll be living it. There’s “no experience necessary” to become a stagehand besides being “physically fit” and able to lift over 50 pounds. The pre-requisites are simple: “you just have to be strong,” Paquette said.
For the night owls who love picking up cans, the grounds crew might be just what the doctor ordered. Each night, the crew cleans up the concert grounds, picking up garbage—most of which are beer cans—to make sure everything looks peachy for the next day. Cleanup runs until about 4 a.m., Paquette explained, and although volunteers are needed on each night, you need not dedicate yourself to all three.
In previous years, organizers have earned about $3,000 from returning the empty beer cans, so there will be no shortage of aluminum to pick up.
Bartenders are also needed, and these are paid positions. If you have the necessary skills to tend the taps, the organizers are accepting applications. They are also looking for a “lead coordinator for the bar,” so if organizing and managing is in your wheelhouse, the festival would like to hear from you.
Paquette acknowledges the amount of work it takes to put on such a festival and is very grateful to the community for all the support. Community sponsorships are coming in at a near-record high at $46,550, and ticket sales are already hovering around the 2,500 mark. This year there is a cap of 4,000 attendees, so organizers expect to easily reach that target.
Voyageur Days “brings a lot of money into Mattawa” Paquette said, and “is a great thing for economic development.” If you’d like to get involved over the weekend, but the stage and grounds crew don’t tickle your fancy, there are many other opportunities available. The short of it is the event is always looking for volunteers to help with security, the gates, and at the many events throughout the day. If interested, reach out via email at [email protected] or visit the festival’s website at www.voyageurdays.ca.
David Briggs is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter who works out of BayToday, a publication of Village Media. The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada.
