For every year since 2007, the Roots N Blues N BBQ Festival has made a weekend-long carnival party out of Columbia. With an event as anticipated as this one, a strong committee is a definite requirement to make sure the festival runs smoothly, and how better to ensure such a team than having dedicated volunteers?

I spoke on the phone with volunteer coordinator Melissa Roach to find out more about the volunteering program. Roach worked as an intern for the festival during the last two years. She initially joined because she thought it would be a lot of fun, and continued because it felt good to be a part of the team. Last year, she assisted the previous volunteer coordinator before stepping up to take the role this year. She has been dutifully working on the festival for six months now.

Roach believes the volunteer team is absolutely crucial to the event. Without them, the festival simply would not be able to run. Roach told me that as of Sept. 16, Roach said there were 375 volunteers in total, and the festival will still take applicants up until the weekend of the festival. According to Roach, some of the volunteers are from MU, particularly the Sustainability Department. A lot of the volunteers are from the community of Columbia.

Volunteering isn’t just a lot of fun, it comes with some benefits as well. Roach claimed that volunteers who work two four-to-five-hour shifts receive a three-day wristband to the festival, which usually costs around $120. Volunteers who work four shifts get to enter the front-viewing areas, which are typically reserved for VIPs.

Roach thinks the volunteers for the festival have a good time doing their tasks. She tries her best to make the environment light and fun. Roach is proud of saying that plenty of the volunteers are returning ones. She says volunteers are usually satisfied with their roles because there are so many positions and departments to choose from, including the Art Installment Team, Green Team, Box Office Team and plenty more.

“There’s a job for each person,” Roach said. “We go into detail in the applications about what you have to do in the areas. A majority of the time when you sign up to volunteer, you will get the job you want.”

I also talked to Malissa Clinton, who has been a volunteer for multiple years. She started volunteering because of her husband, who is a part of the steering committee for the festival. Clinton works as an ophthalmology technician, but for the festival, she works as a bartender. She later joined to volunteer as part of security alongside her husband.

Clinton told me she’s seen great growth in the event every year. The personnel has improved, and there have been more volunteers and acts for the festival. The jobs that Clinton has worked were all paid positions, but she mentioned there are non-paid positions as well.

“Oh, it’s not stressful at all,” Clinton said about the workload for the festival. “It’s a very laid-back atmosphere… it’s a lot of fun working with close friends. The bartenders were just us girls, and we get to spend the whole weekend together.”

This year, though, Clinton anticipates a very quiet weekend for herself, as she isn’t volunteering. She trusts the people who are working this year to make the event a great success.

The Roots N Blues N BBQ Music Festival is still taking applications to join the volunteer staff at its website: www.rootsnbluesnbbq.com

_Edited by Siena DeBolt | sdebolt@themaneater.com_