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Volunteer Jobs and Opportunities
The jobs below reflect previous in-person festival volunteer opportunities - they are changing slightly this year.
All our summer festival volunteers receive an awesome volunteer t-shirt. Folks that help out for 3 or more shifts earn one ticket voucher for each shift they work (a shift is roughly 90 minutes of time and correlates to one performance slot). Because of the duties they have to carry out, volunteers cannot see the shows they are working. Our largest need is for ushers.
Volunteering during the Summer Festivals
Maverick: As a Fringe Maverick, you are our most versatile, flexible, and free-range volunteer. Mavericks sign up for the days/times/hubs when they can volunteer, and we send them where we need them the most. Like our Front of House Core Team who act as "Mobile Crisis Response People", you’ll get your assignment between 6-24 hours ahead of time. Mavericks should be very knowledgeable about the Festival and the organization, familiar with all volunteer positions, and flexible enough to swoop into any job at a moment’s notice. Mavericks are extremely adaptable volunteers who are always ready for an adventure, and who don’t mind moving from venue to venue or job to job within a hub. Mavericks should be comfortable taking on unusual tasks or added leadership at the request of staff (ie, training a new volunteer on the job, or acting as a volunteer fairy, delivering snacks to other volunteers and staff). Maverick assignments typically begin 45 minutes prior to showtime and are 3 hours in length. Mavericks are required to attend volunteer training.
Usher: As an Usher, your focus is engaging with patrons so they enjoy all aspects of their festival-going experience -- think of yourself as the House Manager’s sidekick. You will greet patrons, check vaccination statuses, distribute programs, and take tokens as patrons enter the theater. You may need to assist patrons with mobility needs to their seats and provide other patron services. You may also be stationed around the venue to help greet and direct patrons, to help manage lines and crowds, and to assist the House Manager with whatever they may need. Ushers are also responsible for keeping the lobbies and seating areas tidy. Ushers may be stationed inside the theater during a performance and must be ready to assist patrons exiting or entering as needed. Usher shifts begin 45 minutes prior to showtime. We strongly encourage ushers to volunteer for multiple shifts in a row to help our House Managers with lower turnover! Ushers are required to attend volunteer training.
Billeter: Help defray the touring costs of an out-of-town artist by providing lodging and a home base. As a billet host, you will open your home to performers from across the country and around the globe! Contact info@fringefestival.org for more details and to connect with our Artist Liaison, Amber Bjork.
There are many opportunities available for those who wish to make a difference by donating their time to Fringe. Remember, with great power comes great responsibility. If you need to cancel a volunteer obligation, contact the office and please give us as much notice as humanly possible: volunteer@fringefestival.org
Year-Round Opportunities
If you have a special skill set, or a particular hobby that you think would be helpful to Minnesota Fringe outside of our customer-facing volunteer opportunities, please let us know! We work all year-round, even though the bulk of our programming fits into three amazing weeks of summer. Plus, we like having people around.