THANK YOU New volunteers always welcome - bring a friend Help us recruit more volunteers for the Festival If you are interested in running a team become a chair - let us know If you are interested in becoming the Frankfort Fall Festival Chair, train to become one by leading various committees/teams and learning all the ins and outs of each. 2018 Volunteer Handbook 2016 2017 Volunteer VOLUNTEER Handbook HANDBOOK FRANKFORT FALL FESTIVAL Frankfort Chamber of Commerce 123 Kansas Street Frankfort, IL 60423 Phone (815) 469-3356 Fax (815) 469-4352 www.frankfortchamber.com www.frankfortfallfestival.info info@frankfortchamber.com 123 Kansas Street Frankfort, IL 60423 Phone (815) 469-3356 Fax (815) 469-4352 www.frankfortchamber.com www.frankfortfallfestival.info info@frankfortchamber.com
Page 2 Aloha! TO ALL OUR VOLUNTEERS Thank you for volunteering for the 50 th Anniversary Celebration of the Frankfort Fall Festival. I hope that you enjoy your time with us as we Escape to Paradise over the Labor Day weekend. The Frankfort Fall Festival is a nationally recognized Arts & Crafts Festival produced by the Frankfort Chamber of Commerce. This event brings hundreds of thousands of visitors to the Village of Frankfort each year. In addition to being the primary fundraiser for the Frankfort Chamber of Commerce, the Festival benefits many local civic organizations that raise much needed funds for their groups. Our local business establishments also enjoy positive notoriety as they participate in this event as well. This handbook is created as a reference guide for you. It contains information regarding our policies and procedures and describes all the volunteer opportunities available. I encourage you to read it carefully so you will be well informed to handle your volunteer role. Thank you so much for volunteering and spending time with us as we celebrate this monumental year. It is volunteers like you that contribute to this 50 year tradition and help to produce one of the most successful Arts and Crafts Festivals in the nation. Have a great time! NEW THIS YEAR THE GARDEN FRIDAY 4-8 pm DESCRIPTION: Help with directing crowd traffic to the Garden. Keep order in the streets as Artisans are setting up and concert-goers are arriving. FRIDAY/SATURDAY/SUNDAY/MONDAY(day only) 10 am-6pm, 2- to 3-hour shifts 6pm-Midnight, 3-hour shifts DESCRIPTION: Cleaning off tables, taking garbage to dumpster, overall maintenance of the Garden customer tables. Must be 18 or older from 10 am to 6 pm. Must be 21 or older from 6 pm to midnight. Page 15 Sea you soon! Bob Peters 2018 Frankfort Fall Festival Chairman ABOUT OUR FESTIVAL This is our 50th Annual Frankfort Fall Festival. What began as a small sauerkraut Festival is now a huge event, filling the streets of the historic downtown area and featuring approximately 300 juried artisans. The jury process allows us to select artisans who display exceptional, quality products in a variety of mediums. The high standards help us maintain our success. We also feature food sold by local Civic organizations, a free entertainment stage and rest area. The Festival offers something for everyone includng a Carnival managed by the Frankfort Fire Department and a Beer and Wine Entertainment Garden. We estimate more than 250,000 every year.
Page 14 FRANKFORT FALL FESTIVAL Page 3 COMMUNICATIONS DESCRIPTION: Run the Chamber Base Office during the Festival, man the phones, answer all questions coming in, manage the walkie-talkies, ensure that emergencies are handled or given to the appropriate people to handle. Work the sound system, playing music and making announcements routinely. Indoor work (mainly seated) Must be very knowledgeable about the Frankfort Fall Festival and the Village of Frankfort. This team is the source of communication flow throughout the Festival. Coordinate with Police/Fire in the case of any emergencies. Should have a pleasant and helpful personality, clear voice and good hearing. 4- to 5-hour shifts (assigned by chair) Festival Headquarters (Base) is manned from Festival opening until close daily. Communications Committee Chair - Julie Cantrell There is an orientation session to help acquaint our volunteers with the Festival. On Wednesday, June 13 we will host a general volunteer information sessions and the volunteer brunch and walkaround session will be on Saturday, July 28, 2018. As our volunteers report for duty each day of the weekend of the Festival, they will check in and out at the Volunteer headquarters located at The Chamber Office, 123 Kansas Street. This is an important procedure established to ensure that we are aware of which volunteers are in place at any given time. It also helps us answer requests of family members trying to locate you! Volunteers over the age of 18 will be given a yellow shirt to be worn when on duty as a Chamber volunteer. Shirts will be distributed July 28 during the Volunteer gathering prior to the Festival or when you check in for your first assigned volunteer shift. Similarly, volunteers under the age of 18 will be given blue shirts to wear. We request that you change out of this shirt when you are off duty or volunteering for another organization. Volunteers may obtain a parking permit which allows them to park in one of the designated Volunteer Parking Lots during the hours that they are volunteering at the Festival. This permit must be signed by the volunteer and may not be given to any other family member or friends for use during the Festival. Parking is extremely limited so we appreciate your cooperation in this. The Volunteer Headquarters (Chamber Board Room) will maintain a rest area with beverages and snacks for our volunteers. We appreciate any items brought in to share with others. Children under the age of 13 must be chaperoned in the Volunteer Headquarters rest area. The Office portion of the Chamber Base needs to remain a quiet area in order to handle phone calls and announcements, and is limited to those checking out or returning radios, or those requiring the assistance of the staff. Walkie-Talkie radios will be assigned by the Communication Chair for specific assignments during set-up, breakdown and during the Parade. At all other times, when you are on duty and require a radio, please request one from the Communication Chair. Please observe the following items of Radio Etiquette. First listen to see if anyone else is speaking. When using a radio, hold the talk-button down, wait one second, and then begin speaking. Always identify yourself and the person you are calling. In other words, Calling to Mary from Bob Try not to talk over ongoing conversations.
Page 4 VOLUNTEER PARTIES You might say that the whole Festival is one big party, but we do have two special times set aside to thank our volunteers. First, on Saturday, July 28 we will have a volunteer gathering to be announced soon. There will be team building activities which will also help acquaint you with the Festival grounds. Second, on Monday evening after Break-down, we will have a buffet supper and the celebration of a successful event. Next year s Co-Chairperson and theme are announced at this event. VOLUNTEER ASSIGNMENTS The following pages list the many volunteer opportunities afforded by the Festival. Some of these involve committees which meet and work during the year, while others are active only during the Festival. Festival Job Descriptions are provided and the specific volunteer requirements for each are also listed for you to appropriately match your skill set. We will communicate with you through your e-mail address. If you do not have e-mail, don t worry, we can help you schedule your times/jobs. Please look over the handbook to see if there are other volunteer positions that interest you, this will help us to qualify you for positions as they come available. BLOCK CAPTAINS DESCRIPTION: Responsible for managing the artisans on a specific street or parking lot. Must be there early to help direct artisans into correct spots, direct traffic on that street, give official information packets to vendors, ensure booths are set up as required (including posting of booth numbers and work-in-progress posters), keep an eye out for buy/sell, and help with breakdown each day. Shifts of 4 or more hours every day at opening and closing with mandatory a.m. & p.m. meetings to attend. Block Captain Chair - Tom Powers GATE KEEPERS Page 13 DESCRIPTION: Stationed in teams at one of the designated gates for set-up & break-down. Work closely with Block Captains and Festival Chair. Welcome artisans upon arrival into Festival footprint, answer on-site questions during first point of check-in, hand out any additional necessary paperwork, and in an orderly fashion, usher artisans from queue to designated booth space to begin setup as availability allows per street. At evening break-down answer questions, hand out any additional paperwork, and in an orderly fashion usher artisans through gate as availability allows per street. Previous experience required. Should have a pleasant and helpful personality, clear voice and good hearing. Shifts of 4 or more hours every day at opening and closing with mandatory a.m. & p.m. meetings to attend. Gate Keeper Committee Chair - John Clavio
Page 12 Page 5 ARTISANS DESCRIPTION: Jury artisan entries, determine who is accepted into the Festival, place the artisans into their booth locations, determine stand-bys and when to call a stand-by in. Ensure that everything such as electric needs and insurance are appropriately identified and paid for. The weekend of the Festival, walk around to ensure that what is on display is what was juried. Need to be versed in items made by hand versus buy/sell of manufactured items, knowledgeable of the items that are of quality enough for our Festival. The Chair of this committee handles the majority of the communications with artisans. Committee meets at regular intervals as the applications come in, usually for three hours at a time, from February until all the spaces are filled. While evenings sometimes work, often meetings are on weekdays. Note: If you are interested in volunteering for this committee let us know early, so we can contact you for next year s season of work, which begins in January. 3- to 4-hour shifts Artisan Committee Chair - Sam Schoeler ELECTRICAL DESCRIPTION: Responsible for ensuring that artisans and civics who request and pay for electricity are supplied. Includes ordering and installing equipment as needed, contracting with an outside firm, creating regulations for our artisans/civics to follow and connecting those to our power source. Volunteers move large and small power cords around in the days prior to Festival and help the Chair make connections the day of. Majority of heavy work takes place on Thursday and/or Friday before Festival. Friday night before Festival light cords are laid out. Saturday (morning of Festival) Electric team ensure all appropriate Artisans & Civics are connected. Knowledge of electricity is helpful but not required. 3- to 5-hour shifts (set-up in a.m. & breakdown in p.m.) (weather dependent - dates/times determined by chair prior to set-up) Electrical Committee Chair - Steve Langdon ENTERTAINMENT DESCRIPTION: Working with the budget and direction set by the Festival Chair, the Entertainment Chair procures entertainment for the Breidert Green Entertainment Stage. During the days of performance, the chair and volunteers ensure that the performers park in the correct spaces and are transported back and forth to the stage. They act as Stage Manager and also introduce each act. Knowledge of sound, stage and music is helpful but not required. 4-hour shifts Entertainment Committee Chair - Eric Walton
Page 6 Page 11 FOOD COURT CIVICS TRANSPORTATION DESCRIPTION: Oversee Civic Organizations, selling food and beverages during Festival. Select and organize civic vendors and assign/confirm their spot. Develop mandatory rules and regulations regarding set-up, breakdown, materials, etc. Primary contact with the Will County Health Department. Maintain the list of Civic Organizations interested in participating in future Festivals when vendor placement availability. Committee onsite for set-up of Civic booths (before the Festival) to ensure everyone in correct position with appropriate equipment. During the Festival, Committee present in food court area for trouble-shooting, overseeing the Civic Organizations, monitoring the litter patrol, use of space, hand-washing stations, etc. The Food Court is located on Kansas Street adjacent to Breidert Green. DESCRIPTION: Authorized drivers drive the borrowed Village passenger van to transport artisans back and forth from the parking lots and to transport volunteers at certain times, such as the parade. Chamber Authorization Required. Outdoor/In Vehicle Work - Clean driving record, minimum age 25, all authorized drivers must have their drivers licenses and insurance registered with the Chamber and the Village of Frankfort. 3 to 5.5-hour shifts Transportation Committee Chair - Richard Rappold 4.5-hour shifts VOLUNTEER HOSPITALITY Civics Committee Chair - Andrew Wright GUEST SERVICES STREET PATROL DESCRIPTION: Assigned to a specific Block Captain. Responsible for walking certain sections of the Festival during the day, relieving the block captains. They are to answer questions of the artisans or visitors to the Festival. They should also make note of any items that look like buy/ sell. In the event of a lost child or emergency, volunteers will be on-call to help with any procedures as directed by the Office or Chair. DESCRIPTION: Staff Volunteer Headquarters (Chamber Board Room and related areas), conduct volunteer verification at check-in and check-out daily as each reports for assigned shift, keeps daily records of volunteers on duty, monitors the Volunteer Headquarters, restrooms, etc. for supplies, cleanliness and replenishment. They should have a pleasant and helpful personality, clear voice, organized and good attention to detail throughout the day. 3.5-hour shifts Hospitality Chair Lesa Bachmann 4-hour shifts Assigned Block Captain
Page 10 Page 7 INFORMATION BOOTH PARADE DESCRIPTION: The resource for directing visitors to Festival venues and services offered. Three-hour shifts with a total of four volunteers during each shift. Chair responsible for gathering, assigning, training and developing volunteers. Mandatory training is required for Information Booth volunteers to educate with detailed information pertaining to the current Festival (include map information, bus locations, Downtown Frankfort Businesses, participating artisans, food venues, carnival information, band schedule, restrooms, BETA tent, lost and found, First-aid stations and Frankfort in general). Most Importantly, the mission is to provide direction, increase awareness for all guests and artisans and to gather feedback. The ideal candidate for this position is a person that enjoys working with the public and finding satisfaction in promoting positive quality assurance. 4-hour shifts Information Booth Chair - Karen Blake DESCRIPTION (Overall): Organize the Sunday Frankfort Fall Festival parade. Develop plans for street and parking management, help set-up parade elements, set-up and decorate judging and emcees podium, mark Borg Warner lot early in morning for each entry, check in entries as they arrive, direct entries to waiting spots, direct parking of other participants, help parade kickoff in the correct order, manage parade route to keep parade moving at the appropriate pace, interacts with Channel 6 TV (filming parade) and serve as security to keep visitors away from the cable TV cameras and staging area. Committee also in charge of clean-up at parade grounds and tear down the reviewing stands with return to storage after the parade is MUSTERING TEAM Set-up volunteer tent, band staging signage, directional signage, mark parking lot with staging locations for float entries, clean-up at Borg Warner and parade grounds at conclusion of the parade Blue-bees (on bikes) guide floats to staging spots Adults conduct float entry check-in upon arrival and guide them to next available Blue-bee to guide to staging location prior to step off 6-hour shift Mustering Captain & Leslie Walton (Parade Chair) ON-AIR TALENT TEAM Announce floats for recorded broadcast on FCTV Channel 6 Engaging, fun personality, voice and appearance suitable for television broadcast Extensive knowledge of Frankfort, residents and especially Chamber of Commerce Members Extensive Involvement in script/skit development process Research and prepare interviews Parade Chair Leslie Walton 5-hour shift
Page 8 Page 9 PARADE - Continued PRE-FEST SET-UP / PROPERTY PROTECTION PRODUCTION TEAM & SUPERVISOR Set-up and decorate announcer area. Aid communication between parade chair, announcers and Channel 6 to coordinate last minute changes to parade entries. 4-hour shift PARADE MARSHALLS Help maintain parade pace with a commanding presence, close gaps between floats, make sure safety rules are followed, walk 2-mile parade route, must attend training session 2.5-hour shift Parade Chair Leslie Walton DESCRIPTION: PRE-FESTIVAL SET-UP & POST FESTIVAL BREAK DOWN Pre-Festival: Help during days leading up to Festival (typically Friday afternoon) to set up the Breidert Green Entertainment Area and other key locations throughout the Festival footprint (place hay bales, resting tent boards, fencing and signage). Additionally, assists in set-up and placement of the Information Booth in the center of downtown Frankfort. Post Festival: Help during break down at the Breidert Green Entertainment Area and other key locations throughout the Festival Footprint (pick-up hay bales, resting tent boards, fencing and signage) Monday evening after the Festival concludes. Additionally, assists in break down and storage of the Information Booth. 2-4 hour shifts ARTISAN VOLUNTEER PARKING Pre-fest Chair Mark Giovanazzi DESCRIPTION: Monitor various parking lots that Chamber manages. Volunteers ensure only authorized vehicles are directed into correct spaces at these lots. Various lots include: 1) parking artisans at the Nursing Home, 2) parking for the Parade Grounds, 3) main parking for volunteers and certain others. We do not manage the Boy Scouts, other visitor parking lots or Trolley Barn handicapped parking lot. Teen (blue shirt) volunteers also often assist adult volunteers in teams of 2 for parking shifts. Chair also helps the office and Festival Chair with contracts for parking as needed yearly. SANITATION DESCRIPTION: Put cans out during Festival set-up and pick them up after Festival. Oversee (paid) civic group to do refuse pick-up. Chair develops the number of porta potties and dumpsters needed for Festival and works with the Chamber Office to bid porta potties, waste disposal and refuse pick up, also is the main contact to the sanitation and refuse contractors during the Festival. 3 to 5-hour shifts 4.5-hour shifts Parking Committee Chair - Jeremy Kalisz Sanitation Committee Chair - Jim Ippolito