Volunteer Orientation Days
We encourage all volunteers to attend a
Volunteer Orientation Day!
May 20th and August 12th, 2023
RSVP by one week prior.
Orientation is 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Continental Breakfast served at 8:30 AM, Lunch is a potluck.
Thank you to all our volunteers!
Volunteer Sign Up for
Campgrounds, Day Parking, and Middle Ground
will be online starting April 24, 2023, 9:00 AM.
The bsellers@wheatlandmusic.org link will be available at 9:00 am on April 24th
Instructions for ONLINE VOLUNTEER SIGN UP
- Go to signupgenius.com
- In the right top corner, click the magnifying glass
- In the box that says “Search for a sign up”, type in (or copy and paste) the email bsellers@wheatlandmusic.org
- Confirm “I am not a robot” and click the SEARCH button
- A page to select Campgrounds, Day Parking, and Middle Ground will then pop up and you’re on your way!
GUIDELINES/REQUIREMENTS
- YOU MUST WORK BOTH SHIFTS IN THE SAME AREA.
- If you are a first time volunteer, the times/slots are clearly labeled for which ones you are allowed to sign up for
- Back to back shifts are not available for the first two shifts on Friday
- In order to sign up, you will need the following information:
Name
Address
Contact Number
T-Shirt Size
Volunteers are an integral part of the Wheatland Music Festival and each year hundreds of people donate their time and many talents towards making the Festival an amazing experience for others. But we are always looking for new volunteers! So, if you already know how wonderful it is to be festival volunteer, share your wonderful volunteer experience(s) with your friends and encourage them to give volunteering a try. If you are brand-new to volunteering at Wheatland, there are many areas that need a helping hand. Please take just a few moments to read over the volunteer areas listed below, and maybe you would like to volunteer for one of them. All we are missing is you!
How to Become a Volunteer
- Every volunteer, first-time or veteran, is required to have a current Background Check Form on file with the WMO Office. Please print, complete, sign, and return. Email: wmo.office@wheatlandmusic.org / Mail: WMO, PO Box 22, Remus, MI 49340 / Fax: 989-967-8562
- First-time volunteers must purchase their own festival ticket (BEFORE they sell out!). You must purchase your ticket early, preferably May (if you are a Member) or June at the latest, before they sell out. The cost of the ticket will be reimbursed after the festival (issued to the same payment method which was used to purchase the original ticket), provided all volunteer obligations have been met. Once you have volunteered and established that you are reliable, you will not have to be on our reimbursement plan.
- Sign up for your volunteer shifts (see “Signing Up” below).
- It is highly recommended that you attend one (or both) of Wheatland’s Volunteer Orientations.
- Complete your assigned volunteer duties. Volunteers are required to work a total of 8 hours over the course of the weekend. In return, we will provide you with a weekend ticket to the Festival, a volunteer t-shirt and some food coupons.
NO SHOWS
Unreliable volunteers cause a major strain on team leaders, other reliable volunteers, and of course the overall operations of our festival. Therefore if you don’t show up for your shift your name will be submitted to the WMO office where it will be entered into a database to be listed as a “No Show,” thus preventing you from volunteering in ANY AREA in the future. This is if you have not made previous contact with your area leader or called the office and cancelled your shift prior to the festival.
SIGNING UP
Remember to update your t-shirt size and contact information when you sign up for volunteer shifts! Shifts are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis. No emails, faxes, or personal visits will be accepted. Wheatland will try to meet your requests for specific volunteer areas, times, and co-worker preferences. Please be patient and specific when calling in to sign up.
Campgrounds, Day Parking, & Middle Ground
Volunteer Sign-up for Campgrounds, Day Parking, & Middle Ground are on hold. They will be done online. Instructions on how to sign up will be released soon.
Kids Hill
Sign Up for returning volunteers has begun and will open to new volunteers on July 1. You can sign up by emailing or calling Jim & Marilyn Buggs – mjmjbugs@aol.com or 517-712-1504 (primary contact), or Barb Oakley at 989-463-4215. Must be at least 13 years old to volunteer on Kids Hill.
Campgrounds
As you can imagine, Campgrounds covers the entire Wheatland Property and requires a massive number of volunteers. As with all volunteers, we believe that you are the ambassadors for Wheatland. Your help is paramount to ensure the safety and enjoyment of all festival-goers. Specific jobs in this area depend largely on the time and day you sign up for. For example, Friday morning and afternoon involves providing assistance to festival-goers setting up camp in all the right places (no blocked fire lanes, tongues and noses out, etc.). Evenings require patrol (in pairs) helping festival goers with any questions, etc. and reporting potential problems to your crew leader. All shifts entail a lot of walking so please dress accordingly. You MUST be at least 16 to work campgrounds.
Campground Crew Leaders will have the following responsibilities: To meet with Shift Coordinator at the sign-in tent ½ hour prior to shift for briefing. At your assigned station you must sign in the workers, assign them radios and assign the areas to patrol. You will also be responsible for documentation of events such as a lost child, blocked fire lanes, unruly festival goers, etc. To be eligible for this position you must have worked at least one or more festivals in campgrounds and attend at least one of the WMO Volunteer Orientation sessions. You MUST be at least 18 to be a Crew Leader.
Sign up online at signupgenius.com. Sign ups are on hold. See instructions above.
FRIDAY
9am – 2pm
11am – 4pm
4pm – 8pm
8pm – midnight
midnight – 4am
midnight – 8am
SATURDAY
8am – noon
noon – 4pm
4pm – 8pm
8pm – midnight
midnight – 4am
midnight – 8am
SUNDAY
8am – noon
noon – 4pm
4pm – 8pm
Day Parking
If you are an “outstanding person in your field” type of person then Day Parking is the place for you. You would be working as a team directing festival patrons to parking spaces in the day parking lot, campground entrances and exits and monitoring handicap day parking areas. You must wear a stylish fluorescent orange vest (provided by WMO) to enhance your presence and you MUST be at least 16 to work Day Parking. Attendance of a WMO volunteer training session is strongly encouraged!!!
Day Parking Crew Leaders will have the following responsibilities: Arrive ½ hour prior to shift for briefing from last crew leader, sign in Volunteers and assign them, report all concerns to shift coordinator and keep records of all activities. You MUST be at least 18, have worked in day parking previously and have attended a WMO Volunteer Orientation session in the recent past or one this summer.
Sign up online at signupgenius.com. Sign ups are on hold. See instructions above.
SHIFTS
FRIDAY
7:30am – 11:30am
11:30am – 3:30pm
3:30pm – 7:30pm
7:30pm – 9:30pm
7:30pm – 1:30am
SATURDAY
7:30am – 11:30am
11:30am – 3:30pm
3:30pm – 7:30pm
7:30pm – 9:30pm
7:30pm – 1:30am
SUNDAY
7:30am – 11:30am
11:30am – 3:30pm
Hospitality Carts
There are limited openings in Hospitality Transportation this year. Drivers must work two 4 ½ hour shifts during festival. Drivers transport festival patrons around the festival site. Hospitality transportation drivers must be at least 25 years of age with a valid driver’s license and have a minimum of 3 years volunteering in the campgrounds. You are strongly encouraged to attend a WMO orientation session. If interested call the WMO office at 989-967-8879. The staff will take your name and number and Don Short will contact you and assign you an available shift.
First Aid
There are a very limited number of shifts for RNs, LPNs, EMTs and Paramedics available during festival. Any volunteer who didn’t work last year and is interested in working this year should call or email Eric Neumann at eneumann329@gmail.com or 989-225-5911. Please give your t-shirt size when you sign up. All First Aid volunteers who can make time in their schedules should attend one of the training weekends this year. It is a great time meeting other festival volunteers.
Fire Prevention
Do you have your “Michigan Fire Fighter One” certificate? Would you like to volunteer for the WMO fire suppression team? Then please call or email Bob Beers at wmofirecontrol@gmail.com or 989-309-0076. You will need to provide a copy of your certificate (so it can be kept on file) to the office. Some of the duties will include patrolling for violators of the nonsmoking rule, assisting with medical emergencies when summoned and putting out small fires. Bob encourages all fire volunteers who can make time in their schedules to attend one of the training weekends this year. It is a great time meeting other festival volunteers.