Volunteer Application

 

Volunteers Rule!

THANK YOU for your interest in becoming a Live Oak volunteer! We appreciate your enthusiasm for helping to make this the best festival ever, and for supporting KCBX Public Radio!

Live Oak Music Festival would not be possible without the help of our dedicated and talented volunteers. They are responsible for everything from constructing the stages to leading children’s activities to making sure the campgrounds are well-maintained. It’s hard to put down in words, but there is a very special bond between this unique volunteer community of friends and neighbors that starts the first moment the stage crew arrives on Monday morning through the last person to leave and lock the gate after the festival. Join our team of volunteers!

 
 

Volunteer Expectations

A typical volunteer position requires a minimum of 15 hours of work in exchange for a full festival pass, even though many positions require more hours and many folks don't hesitate to work more. Pre-festival positions require at least 30 hours of work.

Volunteers younger than 18 years old must have a signed waiver on file from their parent or legal guardian (who is also in attendance at the festival), and be approved for that position by the coordinator. Please review ALL of the volunteer areas before applying.

PLEASE NOTE: As part of the volunteer application process, after you have submitted your application, we will ask you to review our Live Oak Volunteer Guidelines and sign a Volunteer Agreement indicating your willingness to follow those guidelines.

Volunteer Application Process

If you would like to volunteer, please complete the online volunteer application below. Please remember that many of the same people volunteer year after year for Live Oak and that returning volunteers have precedence for available jobs. Your application will be routed between Live Oak committee heads needing new volunteers and, depending on the committee's needs, you may get a call from one of our committee chairs. If you have questions about your application, contact our Volunteer Coordinator at lovolunteer@kcbx.org.

If you volunteered last year

If you have not heard from the Volunteer Coordinator or your Live Oak supervisor you may complete a new application.

If you already purchased your Live Oak festival ticket

If you are contacted to fill a volunteer position, but you have already purchased a ticket to the festival, you will be refunded the full price of the ticket after the festival. Please contact your committee head to request your refund. YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO PURCHASE YOUR OWN VEHICLE PASS. YOU WILL RECEIVE A REFUND OF 80 LIVE OAK BUCKS IF YOUR VEHICLE IS MOVED TO THE LONG-TERM PARKING LOT IN THE ALLOTTED TIME. NO EXCEPTIONS.

Current positions we are filling now. More positions may be available.

  • We are seeking volunteers who are early risers to assist with the Live Oak tradition known as the Acorn Roll. Volunteer shifts will begin at 12:00 pm on Friday, and at 5:30 am on Saturday and Sunday. At that time, the audience area will open for guests to begin placing their low-back chairs on the ground to reserve their seating for the KCBX Stage performances each day.

    Volunteers are responsible for relaying instructions for the Acorn Roll to everyone in line, assisting guests with proper placement of their chairs, and maintaining order throughout the Roll.

    Familiarity with Live Oak Music Festival and the Acorn Roll is a plus.

  • Crew Leads

    Will be in charge of 6 to 8 volunteers to ensure that meals are served, area is cleaned, dishes washed, and kitchen/backstage has what they need (if orders are needed).

    Ticket-takers (ages 13 and up with parental recommendation/approval)

    Will take tickets, track people receiving meals, and help maintain cleanliness of the area.

    Scruboaks (generally ages 16 and up with parental recommendation/approval)

    Will make sure all kitchen and catering dishes are sanitarily cleaned and managed. Will also assist with general cleaning and catering as needed.

    Servers (generally ages 16 and up with parental recommendation/approval)

    Will maintain catering area cleanliness, assist with serving backstage meals, maintain customer service, and assist with backstage catering as needed, which could include backing-up scruboaks.

  • The children’s area is seeking volunteers to lead a variety of classes, workshops, and games in activities like juggling, tie dye, ping pong, corn hole, dancing, hiking, and crafting. There are activities for kids from toddlers to teens. Volunteers are needed to assist with organizing activities between now and the start of the festival, for setup from Tuesday to Thursday before the festival, to assist during the festival, and for tear down/cleanup on Monday following the festival. Item description.

    Kids' Yoga & Movement Instructor

    We are seeking an experienced leader to guide one or more children's movement workshops in the kids' area several times throughout the weekend of the festival. Previous leaders have offered classes that combine dance, yoga, acrobatics, and creative movement for kids of all ages and their parents. Please apply if you have experience leading movement classes for children of all ages and include your proposed class description(s) in your application. Schedule is flexible and somewhat dependent on other activities happening in the children's area throughout the day. Morning and early afternoon availability is preferred.

  • Beer Garden Lead

    Do you excel at working with others? Do you enjoy leading with confidence? Do you have bartending experience? The Concessions Coordinator is seeking one responsible volunteer to help oversee the beer garden area of Live Oak Music Festival. This volunteer will work with and be trained by the other experienced lead of the beer garden. The beer garden is a bustling place of friends, music, and fun! There is a stage for performances with several sets throughout the day, so the ideal candidate(s) will work well in fast-paced environments. Leads will work closely with a team of bartenders who work in shifts, cashiers from KCBX’s accounting department, and the Concessions Coordinator. Beer garden leads will also work closely with the Live Oak ice booth by accepting deliveries from ice and alcohol vendors. The responsibilities for this position begin prior to the festival and continue through load out on Monday following the festival.

    Beer Garden - Stage Too and Late Night

    The beer garden team is seeking two to four responsible volunteers to manage beer, wine, and non-alcoholic beverage sales at Stage Too during performances, including late night sets. These volunteers will work directly with the Concessions Coordinator and receive training from the experienced leads of the main beer garden. The ideal candidates will be reliable self-starters with experience in the service industry, knowledgeable of ABC policies, RBS certified, adept at problem solving, and work well in fast-paced environments. The responsibilities for this position begin on Thursday and continue through Sunday evening. Tasks include stocking beverages, transporting product to and from the beer garden and Stage Too bar, setting up and breaking down the bar before and after each shift, coordinating with KCBX’s accounting department, and serving guests in an organized, friendly, and respectful manner.

    A sample schedule may look like:

    Friday: 5:30-8:30 pm 9:30-12:30 am
    Saturday: 1:30-5:30 pm (shift 1) 5:30-8:30 pm (shift 2) 9:30-1:30 am (shift 3)
    Sunday: 1:30-5:30 pm

    Ice Booth - Coordinator + Staff

    Happy campers depend on ice-cold coolers! The ice booth at Live Oak is a convenient and economical way for campers to support KCBX while replenishing their coolers. Live Oak Music Festival is seeking a volunteer coordinator to oversee the successful operation of the ice booth by volunteer staff, beginning with accepting the stock of ice prior the start of the festival, through to the pickup of the ice trailer at the end of the event. The coordinator will assist with staffing the booth, opening/closing the booth each day, replenishing ice at the booth, and troubleshooting on site as necessary. The staff of the ice booth will be responsible for helping to open/close the booth daily, selling bags of ice to campers and food vendors, and delivering ice backstage (as requested). Ice booth staff will report to the coordinator of the ice booth. The coordinator of the ice booth will report to the Concessions Coordinator. Ice booth staff is a great volunteer position for teens and responsible big kids (ages 10+).

  • This year our busiest days will be Tuesday, 6/11, Wednesday 6/12, Thursday 6/13, and Monday, 6/17, for post-fest takedown. (Our crew members rarely, if ever, work during the event itself.)

    • Work in teams to move large, heavy objects -- picnic tables, stage components, straw bales, carpet rolls, safety cones, etc. Involves loading, unloading, & riding on a truck bed or flatbed trailer.

    • Erecting hundreds of yards of plastic fencing. Taking it all down Sunday night & Monday morning.

    • Pounding and pulling many steel t-posts used to support fencing.

    • Distributing piles of wood chips and straw bales – usually with the help of a tractor/truck/trailer.

    • Spreading wood chips over large areas using wheelbarrows, rakes, and shovels.

    Applications will be considered on a priority basis – according to availability:

    • Highest priority goes to those available to work all 4 of the busy days – Tues, Wed, Thurs, and 2nd Mon (takedown & cleanup, until about 2 pm).

    • Second priority to volunteers available after the music ends Sunday night (2-3 hrs) plus the next day, takedown Monday.

    • Lowest priority to pre-fest days only – Monday to Thursday

  • If you are of sturdy constitution, have a strong back, and maybe even your own truck, Live Oak could use your help before and after the festival. Volunteers must be available both the Monday before (6/10/24) and the Monday after (6/17/24) the festival to pick up and deliver supplies between El Chorro Regional Park and Live Oak's storage facilities (located approximately 1 mile from the festival site, or at the KCBX office). Volunteers must be willing and able to lift up to 50 pounds (repeatedly).

  • Help provide security support throughout the festival. You may need to be able to stand for long periods of time. Good people skills and customer service are a necessity, and you must be willing to follow directions. This position is the most important role to running a safe, successful, and friendly event. If selected, you would work various shifts from 8:00 am to 8:00 pm as early as the Monday before and as late as the Monday after the festival (6/10/24 - 6/17/24), including the option for overnight shifts Thursday – Sunday night during the festival.

    Security guards are needed at the ticket gate/festival entrance, beer garden, armband gate into the main festival area, festival marketplace, KCBX Stage, Stage Too, and EMS/dispatch.

  • Camp Concierge

    Our home at El Chorro Park offers festival attendees a variety of camping options. Your job will be to help attendees find the perfect place to camp. You will be responsible for one of the camping areas and will work to help people find a spot to set up their camp while ensuring we make the most efficient use of all the available camping areas. You will be working approximately 15 hours from Thursday afternoon though Saturday morning

    Requirements: Be able to walk on camp ground terrain for a full day. Have a happy can-do attitude. Be able to make quick decisions with limited supervision.

    Grounds Crew

    Help Live Oak reach environmental sustainability. Be part of our crew that works to keep Live Oak clean. Your duties will include: collection of compost, recyclables and trash from areas around Live Oak Camp; ensuring cleanliness of the showers and restocking of supplies in the restrooms. You will also help educate fellow Live Oakies about Reduce, Reuse, Recycle and compost to be part of protecting the resources of El Chorro Park. You will work a 4 hour shift each day.

    Requirements: Be able to smile, be concerned about our planet, and be able to empty trash cans.

    Monday Crew

    After the music is done, we must return El Chorro Park to cleaner than we found it. The Monday crew is responsible for cleaning up the grounds as we take down the wonderland that is Live Oak. You will work from 8am until 5pm on Monday after the festival. You will also work cleaning the audience area for about 30 minutes after the KCBX stage shuts down on Friday and Saturday nights.

    Requirements: Be able to smile, be concerned about our planet, and be able to empty trash cans.

    Shuttle Driver Van or Cart

    The Live Oak Music Festival provides a shuttle service to help people move to and within the festival site. Two types of vehicles are used: vans and golf carts. We use 12-person passenger vans to move participants safely from Cuesta College parking areas, across Hwy 1, to the El Chorro Regional Park festival site, and we use 6-person golf carts within the park to move people between the camping and the music areas. Shuttles run from Wednesday until Monday morning.

    Drivers are expected to work three 5-hour shifts. Typically one early, one middle-day, and one late shift (some shifts run until midnight).

    Requirements: A valid driver’s license. Physically fit to assist passengers. Good vision/can drive at night. Willing to work early and late shifts.

  • We’re looking for a couple of people who are handy with a spreadsheet and data entry and have a helpful demeanor. Tasks include following up with volunteers signing up the week prior to the festival and helping to process volunteers as they arrive at the festival.