Litchfield Park Native American Gathering Offers Range Of Volunteer Opportunities

The Litchfield Park Gathering, a Native American festival featuring more than 100 artists representing tribal affiliations from across the nation, has a range of volunteer opportunities leading up to and during the event on Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 12 and 13, 2019. Festival hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days.

The Festival is free and continues a tradition of celebrating Native American heritage through the arts with active teaching, demonstrations and presentations throughout the weekend.

Volunteer opportunities include:

• Festival Setup: Assist city staff overseeing festival layout and setup by service providers, including tenting, fencing, restrooms, etc. Volunteers will also help hang display banners and signage on festival grounds. Volunteers may also assist with setting up tables and chairs. Assistance is needed with festival setup on Friday, January 11 and with parking oversight during the festival.

• Registration/Check In Table:Volunteers in the City of Litchfield Park's Information Tent with city staff and Festival committee members will assist arriving artists. Volunteers may also handle inquiries from festival attendees regarding activity locations and schedules, as well as general festival information. Volunteers may be asked to make coffee and tea and keep light refreshments maintained.

• Raffle Sales:Volunteers at the Raffle Tent will help Festival committee members with raffle ticket sales, sorting raffle donations provided by artists and with distribution of items to raffle-prize winners.

• Booth Sitters:Volunteers will watch artists' booths for brief periods of time so artists can take breaks, use the restroom or grab a bite to eat. Volunteers will identify themselves as booth sitters to those visiting the booths and inform them that the artist will return shortly to assist them with their questions and purchases.

• Children's Area Assistants:Volunteers will assist children and their parents with arts and crafts materials that are available to the children. Volunteers will also ensure that materials are being used appropriately and that attendees do not take more than the allowable number of arts and crafts.

• Green Team: Volunteers will assist attendees place garbage and recyclable items in the proper receptacles. Volunteers may also be asked to wipe down tables and chairs for public use.

Anyone interested in volunteering should contact Litchfield Park Special Events Coordinator Tricia Kramer at (623) 935-9040 or by email at tkramer@litchfield-park.org.

Like a street festival, The Gathering will be in the center of town. Artist booths will line Old Litchfield Road south of Wigwam Blvd as well as across the lawn of the Litchfield Park Library, 101 W. Wigwam Blvd., and on the nearby Gazebo lawn.

The Gathering features artists and artisans displaying and selling diverse artwork including traditional and contemporary beadwork, clothing, jewelry, paintings and prints, pottery, sculptures and weaving, basketry, carvings and glass art. Cultural Arts will be reflected in classical guitar, clothing and Navajo rugs, quilts, rock art, Wampum shells, bows and arrows, sand art, rattles and fetish carvings.

A full list of artists and entertainers will be announced prior to The Gathering, which is presented by the City of Litchfield Park with funding, in part, from the Arizona Commission on the Arts, Arizona Office of Tourism and The Wigwam, as well as cooperation from the Heard Museum and the West Valley Arts Council.

For more information, visit www.litchfieldparkgathering.com.