We need your help to ensure our annual Fall Native Plant Festival on September 12, 2026 runs smoothly. If you're participating in our Volunteer-A-Thon, your festival hours count!
What role appeals to you most?
Most roles have two shifts: AM (8:30am-12:30pm) and PM (12pm-4pm). The exceptions are Garden Kit Pick-Up (9:45am-1:15pm) and Parking Support (8:30-10am). All PM shifts are asked to help with event breakdown, if they are able, and all volunteers will have access to our hospitality station.
PARKING SUPPORT: We share the parking lot across Oak Street with the First Unitarian Church, which has its own event on Saturday morning. The volunteer in this position will help us be good neighbors by helping direct festival attendees away from the marked spots that will be reserved for church parking. Training will be provided.
GARDEN KIT PICK-UP: The CGC has been hard at work growing native plants for five different pocket garden kits, which are being sold prior to the festival for pickup during the event between 10am and 1pm. In this position, you'll be in charge of checking the preorder list to ensure people who purchased a kit in advance receive their order. Training will be provided.
CAR & CART: Car and cart logistics are always a big part of this event. You can help by loading purchased plants into cars and returning carts to the cart area for other shoppers to use. This is a physically intensive role, so volunteers in this position must be able to lift 45 pounds repeatedly (and have a thumbs-up to skip the gym workout for the day!). Training will be provided.
KIDS' ACTIVITIES: Do you enjoy helping little ones connect with nature in fun, engaging ways? Then help facilitate our Fall Native Plant Festival kids' activities! You'll help run simple, family-friendly activities and make sure supplies stay stocked. Training will be provided.
CGC PLANT BOOTH / CHECK-OUT: Along with our outside vendors, the CGC will be selling plants we've been growing ourselves! Our Fall Native Plant Festival is farmer's market style, meaning each vendor handles their own payment, so we need help running check-out at our booth. Responsibilities will include checking the prices listed on people's plants, tallying totals, and processing payments. If you like numbers and math, this is the spot for you! Training will be provided.
GREETER: It's important that everyone who visits our grounds during the festival feels welcome and comfortable. Stationed at the festival entrance, greeters are the first face visitors see. They're responsible for things like handing out event guides, giving directions, and sharing important information with guests as they arrive. If you're outgoing and happy to help direct people, this is the job for you! Training will be provided.
INFO TABLE: Since this is a big event for us that tends to bring new visitors to our grounds, we often get questions about the CGC! Volunteers in this role will help answer those questions as well as provide festival-related information and directions to people as needed. If you're outgoing and willing to share your love for the CGC, this is the job for you! Training and marketing materials will be provided.
BEER GARDEN: The festival will include a beer garden and refreshment station, so we'll need people to help fill orders, process payments, check IDs, and provide excellent customer service. Since we'll be serving alcohol, volunteers in this role must be 21+. Training will be provided.
PLANT SITTERS: It's like coat check, but for plants! Because we want people to be able to check out other vendors, attend a talk, or grab some food, we offer the option for guests to drop off purchased plants at Plant Sitters until they're ready to go home. In this role, you'll maintain our system for organizing plants and keep a log of which plants belong to whom. If you enjoy systems and organizing, this is the job for you! Training will be provided.
FLOATER: Happy to go wherever you're needed? The Floater position is a catch-all. You may help us run carts from check-out back to the plant area, then encourage people to check out the talks, then help us empty trash cans or check in with vendors to see if they need a snack. If you have a can-do attitude and are willing to be flexible, this is the job for you! Training will be provided.
What happens after you sign up?
Be on the lookout for a follow-up email and volunteer info sheet with more training information regarding your position as we get closer to the event.
Questions?
You can reach out to our Community Engagement Coordinator, Victoria, at any time: volunteer@civicgardencenter.org
Want to join us?
Make sure you’re registered as a CGC volunteer, then…
Thank you for helping us make our Fall Native Plant Festival a success!