Volunteers

Volunteer positions for Smiling Acres Music Festival

If you’re interested in volunteering for SAMF 2026, thank you so much! 🙂 There’s more information below, and if you want to be the first to find out when we’re accepting applications for SAMF 2027, scroll all the way down and subscribe to our emails.

Volunteers are to work two shifts of four hours each to get an adult all weekend camping pass to Smiling Acres Music Festival (SAMF). Along with your ticket, you get a volunteer shirt and meal passes to be redeemed at the Sunshine Café or the General Store.

Please see Smiling Acres Music Festival rules for volunteers, below, before signing up for a volunteer position. Failure to meet expectations could result in being expelled from the festival and banned from volunteering for SAMF.

You may be asked to work in a different area if it becomes short-staffed.

Early Entry Volunteer Information

Only authorized staff, services, and early entry volunteers are allowed on the Smiling Acres grounds prior to 9:00 AM on Friday.

You are an early entry volunteer if you have a shift on Friday that begins between the hours of 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM or have pre-authorization from an executive board member and are on an approved list.

Volunteer positions

Main gate / parking

Selling tickets, assisting with entrance and exits, passing wristbands, assisting with parking/camping questions, handing out maps and schedule of events.

Directing day parking, walking campground making sure cars/campers/trailers are pointed in the correct direction

Smiling Acres General Store

Selling items at the store, helping with till, assisting with organizing and selling of artist merch, helping with storing merch if SAMF is locking it up overnight, assisting with inventory.

You must be 18+ to work the cash register.

Sunshine Café

When you get to the café, the chefs will train you for the area you will be utilized in.

Front Counter: Take orders, greet customers, work a POS system and register, keep front stocked and clean, and communicate with kitchen staff. You must be 18+ to work the cash register.

Prep Cook/Dishwasher: Prep food per guidelines, wash dishes, keep prep area and cooks line stocked, cleaned and sanitized, and organized.

Line cook/Dishwasher: Cook items according to guidelines and customer’s requests.

Sanitation

Keeping the grounds picked up in the campground and festival area. Pulling full garbage bags/replacing bags, pulling recycling bags/replacing bags, helping dump garbage into the dumpster. Making sure the eating area is kept clean, sinks are full of water and soap, porta-jons have sanitizer and toilet paper, and checking shower stalls, clean when needed.

Kids' Corner

Assisting with crafts, setting up/packing crafts.

Volunteer rules

You represent Smiling Acres when you are wearing your volunteer shirt. Your volunteer shirt is looked for when people have questions. Please wear this ONLY during your shifts. In all situations, please keep as calm as possible. Guests of the festival are our top priority. If you need to alert someone because of a sticky situation or an emergency, you can locate walkie-talkies on board members, security, Smiling Acres General Store, Sunshine Café, the purple bus on the North side of the campground, and at the Gate.

When your shift is over, please leave the area that you are volunteering in and change your shirt. We ask that we do not have loitering in high traffic areas. Other volunteers are there for their shifts, please let them do their thing and wait until they are done.

Smoking/vaping/drinking alcohol during your shifts is unacceptable.

Please be a few min early to your shift. No-shows will not be allowed to volunteer in future Smiling Acres events and festivals.

Do not be on a cell phone when you are with someone unless there is an emergency.

All volunteers shall treat other volunteers, performers, staff, and the public with respect. If a problem arises, resolution should be deferred to your coordinator. Your coordinator will take appropriate steps.