Over 100 volunteers gathered at Riverbend Park on Thursday evening for the annual Volunteer Soiree preceding a weekend of music, camping and generally whooping it up at the 7th Annual Palisade Bluegrass and Roots Festival.
The annual volunteer pizza party is a popular event, as is the Bluegrass Festival. Town Administrator Sales points out locations of importance to volunteers.
Dozens of pizzas were consumed as Town Administrator Rich Sales went through the general safety and emergency procedures. The volunteers then broke into groups for further instructions on ticketing, parking, recycling, camping, shuttle driving, merchandise and bartending.
Goodie bags were distributed with the eagerly awaited event T-shirt, water bottle and snack for each volunteer. The four-hour shifts were rewarded with admission to the park for their shift plus a free day’s admission for one of the other two days. Two shifts earn a weekend pass for a volunteer.
The Transportation Team, headed by Penny Prinster, in white shirt, will get festival guests back and forth to their cars. Parking is available around Palisade, as well as in Riverbend Park.
The Green Team will once again be in charge of recycling and trash at the Festival, they do a fantastic job every year of keeping the park clean throughout the weekend. This is no small feat, considering that Riverbend Park is also open for Premier Camping over Bluegrass weekend, and the Green Team takes care of the campers too.
Parking will be provided at Riverbend Park, with overflow at the Palisade Fire Station as well as a parking lot downtown, across the railroad tracks on Main Street. Shuttle buses will provide regular transportation from town parking lots to the Festival entrance in Riverbend Park.
Palisade Police Chief Deb Funston and Fire Chief Richard Rupp added a few instructions for volunteers regarding emergency contacts and facilities.
For anyone that hasn’t tried it yet, the totally family friendly Palisade Bluegrass and Roots Festival is one of the premier summer events on Palisade’s calendar. All age groups are represented from newborns to oldies-but-goodies.
Palisade resident and first-time Bluegrass volunteer Lynn Gearhart, left, talks with Community Development Director Ron Quarles about the upcoming weekend.
