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Updated for Pride Festival 2026

Volunteer Teams & Roles

What to Expect

Here are the basic teams and roles for Pride. You can review what roles you signed up for on the volunteer registration platform SignUp Genius, or by using any of the automatic emails generated when you signed up.

❋ Equipment Pick-Up & Drop-Off

You will be helping load and unload materials from our storage unit and the Downtown Ithaca Alliance (DIA) storage unit, and loading supplies into a UHaul or cars for unloading the day of the event. You do not need to wear a volunteer t-shirt for these roles, but must be able to bend, lift, and carry at least 25lbs and walk, climb, and stand for 1-2 hours. Wear closed-toe shoes!

❋ Logistics & Operations

You are responsible for the physical transformation of downtown Ithaca into a festival grounds and back again, and crossing guard positions on Sunday during the Pride Community Festival. These positions will require moving and lifting 20lbs and being mobile throughout a large area of the festival or event. 

Roles

  • RainbowFest Set-up & Decor: Help band members and event organizers set up decor and move musical equipment down 1 flight of stairs at the Nocturnal Cafe. Must be able to carry 20lbs and bend and lift comfortably.

  • Opening Ceremony & All-Ages Dance Party Set Up: You will need to lift 20lbs and be able to stand, walk, and help with the execution and creative setup of our tents and tables, bathroom signage, and sidewalk chalk to attract pedestrian foot traffic.

  • Pride Festival Set-Up / Tear-Down: You'll work in a team of 20+ people to set up (or break down) tables, tents, safety barriers, trash cans, stock bathrooms, and do creative decorations! This is a "back-end" role that requires lifting 20lbs but does not involve working with pride attendees.

  • Pride Festival Logistics & Crossing Guard Team: Help with event logistics by walking the festival in teams of 2 to restock bathrooms, check signage, empty trash/recycling (with support), and support pedestrians crossing N. Cayuga St. You must be able to stand, walk, and lift 10lbs for this shift. Crossing guards will interact with the public and are encouraged to wave the provided pride flag, warmly greet festival-goers, and confidently use hand gestures to help the flow of people and cars.

Example Tasks

  • Load and unload a Uhaul or car with supplies for each event

  • Set up an information table and fun decor

  • Work with a team to place tents, chairs, tables, signs, trash bins, and more

  • Check on and restock bathrooms and water-refill stations, empty trash & recycling

  • Work as a crossing guard, helping people safely cross streets during the larger Sunday event

❋ Event Information

Warm, welcoming, and eager to help, you greet people who stop by the information tent and answer any questions about Pride! This position will interact with lots of people - you are great at quickly helping people and managing large crowds. You don’t need to memorize every little detail about the weekend; just be prepared to check the printed Pride Guide at the table and the other information we will have ready for you. When in doubt, simply direct a guest to the Lead Volunteer in your area who can answer more detailed questions.

Roles

  • RainbowFest Door & Tickets: Collect or sell tickets at the door, sell merchandise, and provide information about the festival and upcoming Ithaca Underground shows. Position can be seated, standing, or a combination. Please note that the event location, Nocturnal Cafe, is not wheelchair accessible.

  • Opening Ceremony & All-Ages Dance Party Information Team: Be a welcoming face at the information tent, providing information about events, schedule, merchandise, and the silent auction, and be an extroverted helper for all guests. Position can be seated or standing in a wheelchair accessible location.

  • Pride Festival Event Information: Our most extroverted, helpful, warm, and friendly volunteers! Greet Pride festival goers as they enter the festival or stop by the information booth and answer questions, help them explore the festival, or direct to leadership for specific questions.

❋ Performance Support

Work behind the scenes to ensure our talent feels supported. You’ll partner with our Lead Performer Volunteer to keep the stage schedule tight and the energy high. You will interact with performers but otherwise be largely behind the scenes.

Roles

  • RainbowFest Sound Board & AV:  Up to two live sound engineers to assist in running the sound board for the RainbowFest rock festival, including sound check with the band and management during the show. Knowledge of the Noctural Cafe system not required but A/V sound board experience is necessary.

  • Opening Ceremony & All-Ages Dance Party Performer Support: Help our lead performer coordinator support the stage, sound, and performer management for opening ceremonies & the all ages dance party. Hands-on AV experience not necessary; you'll be running items or holding up signs.

  • Pride Festival Performer Support: Ensure our performers, musician, and stage leads know what time they go on, where to be, and complete basic "runner" tasks to make the two Pride stages flow smoothly. No A/V experience necessary, this is a behind-the-scenes role. Note! There will be two stages for Sunday’s Pride Festival, you may be assigned to either depending on your schedule:

    • Dewitt Park: Noon - 6pm

    • Bernie Milton Pavilion: 3pm-8pm

Example Tasks

  • Know all there is to know about Pride weekend activities and help visitors grab a guide, know where to go and what to see

  • Encourage guests to take pronoun pins and stickers, or answer questions about how to get involved as a volunteer

  • Be a warm, friendly, and engaging presence. “Welcome to Pride!” and “How is your festival going” or “Are you ready to dance later?” are examples of the kind of friendly greetings you’ll provide

  • Tell people about how they can buy a Pride t-shirt (separate team and booth), donate to the Ithaca Pride Alliance, and participate in the silent auction

  • Direct any press or leadership questions to the Board / Pride Leadership team on call throughout the weekend

Example Tasks

  • Coordinate the flow of performers between acts (backstage to stage-side) making sure people get where they need to go, on time!

  • Act as the liaison for the MC, providing bios, updates, and "next up" information.

  • Assist with "stagehand" duties, such as moving props or materials on and off stage between sets

  • Corral and wrangle performers to get them on stage or dressed and ready

  • Collaborate with the professional sound team (Practice At) to ensure performers have what they need for a smooth handoff. You will not need to manage any technical details with sound, amplification, etc.

❋ Family & Kid Activities

Create a vibrant, inclusive space for our youngest Pride-goers. This role is perfect for someone who loves community outreach and event programming. You will work with children and families throughout the day.

Roles

  • Opening Ceremony & All-Ages Dance Party Youth Activations: Support our activities tent for families, kids, and kids of all ages! We'll be tye-dyeing, and doing "positive affirmation" crafts & activities. Love working with kids and be flexible for this role.

  • Pride Festival Youth Activations: If you love crafts, working with kids, and getting your hands dirty, this volunteer slot is for you. Help with tye-dyeing, the affirmation station, and other kid-friendly crafts, supporting supply restocking & hands-on support throughout the day.

Example Tasks

  • Coordinate and manage on-site "activations" (games, crafts, or reading corners) dedicated to families and children

  • Ensure the family area is safe, engaging, and reflective of the diverse families within the LGBTQ+ community.

  • Oversee kids and families, helping with the tye-dye station, youth parade, or other activations

  • Support logistics team with calls for additional supplies or trash removal

❋ Volunteer Coordination

You are the friendly face that ensures everyone is trained, empowered, and in the right place at the right time, with the support of the Lead Volunteer Coordinator. This position is forward-facing; you will talk to lots of people during the day and be able to make quick decisions about how to support or allocate time and solve problems.

Roles

  • Pride Festival Volunteer Support: You'll help the volunteer check-in tent run smoothly by assisting the lead volunteer coordinators, keeping an eye on belongings, snacks, and water in the volunteer tent, and acting as a "runner" to get information & people where they need to go. We have almost 200 volunteers during the Sunday Festival, so this role will help get each new shift their t-shirts, show them where to drop off belongings and get snacks, refreshments, and food coupons in our volunteer rest tent, and ensure each person knows what team they are on and where to go.

Example Tasks

  • Support the volunteer check-in station

  • Greet each new volunteer and help them get a T-shirt, and check a reference sheet to check volunteers in and remind them of their role

  • Act as a "floater" to guide volunteers to their assigned stations, make sure the food & drink tent is clean & stocked for volunteers to have a place to rest, recharge, or stash their stuff

  • Maintain real-time communication with the Board Lead to fill any sudden gaps in staffing

❋ Medical Team

Medical professionals who provide on-demand first aid care during events.

Roles

  • Opening Ceremony & All-Ages Dance Party Medical Team: MUST BE CPR/FIRST AID TRAINED; Staffing and maintaining first-aid & rest tents, Walking rounds throughout event space paired with Information Team; Responding to first-aid events; Coordinating 911 response as needed.

  • Pride Festival Medical Team: MUST BE CPR/FIRST AID TRAINED; Staffing and maintaining first-aid & rest tents, Walking rounds throughout event space paired with Information Team; Responding to first-aid events; Coordinating 911 response as needed.

❋ Merchandise Support

Help with our t-shirt sales & silent auction. Be a warm and friendly face! This year we will have t-shirts, sweatshirts, tote bags, and tank tops available with the Pride Festival Logo.

Roles

  • Opening Ceremony Merchandise Support: See general description above

  • Pride Festival Merchandise Support: See general description above

Example Tasks

  • Take t-shirt orders

  • Show guests different size or color options for wearable goods

  • Help with screen printing (you will be trained on how to do this)

  • Show guests the silent auction and encourage them to participate

❋ Tabling & Vendor Support

Walk about the festival in pairs to check on our vendors, tabling organizations and activities to see if they need a break (you will watch their booth for a quick bathroom or lunch break), or to grab supplies. At the end of the day help break down tents. This role will require moving about the festival throughout the day but would work for someone who is walking or in a rolling mobility aid.

Roles

  • Pride Festival Tabling & Vendor Support: See general description above.

Example Tasks

  • Help direct vendors who are driving to their location on Sunday along N. Cayuga St. to their booth location

  • Help vendors and tablers who need assistance with provided tents/tables, or an extra hand setting up their own

  • Watch a booth while a vendor takes a bathroom or food break

  • Check with vendors & tablers to see if they need anything and coordinate with the Lead Volunteers for any assistance

Reconnect with your body and mind as you escape the noise of everyday life.
Day One

Arrive & Meet

As everyone arrives, we take time to settle in, get comfortable, and begin connecting with those around us. The journey starts here.

Check-In

9:00 – 9:30am

Group Activity

11:00am

Lunch Break

12:30pm

Creative Workshop

2:00pm

Dinner

6:30pm

Day Two

Set Intentions & Reflect

Together, we pause to consider our goals, hopes, and direction. This is about aligning with ourselves and with the journey ahead. This is a chance to reconnect with what brought you here—your questions, your hopes, your turning points—and consider how they’ve shifted or deepened.

Check-In

9:00 – 9:30am

Group Activity

11:00am

Lunch Break

12:30pm

Creative Workshop

2:00pm

Dinner

6:30pm

Day Three

Look Forward & Wrap Up

We explore the possibilities beyond this moment, making space for growth, action, and forward momentum. As we end our time together, we honor the experience, the growth, and the connections made along the way.

Check-In

9:00 – 9:30am

Group Activity

11:00am

Lunch Break

12:30pm

Creative Workshop

2:00pm

Dinner

6:30pm

  • "What I love most is the flexibility. I can go at my own pace, revisit lessons, and keep learning whenever it works for me."

    Former Customer

  • "Even as a total beginner, I never felt lost. The step-by-step structure and encouragement along the way made all the difference."

    Former Customer

  • "This has been such a worthwhile investment in myself."

    Former Customer

How It Works

  • Browse our upcoming events to find the one that feels right for you. We host events year-round in all different locations and climates.

  • Sign up and pay all required fees to reserve your spot. If plans change, you can cancel up to 14 days before the retreat start to receive a 50% refund.

  • After booking, we'll send you a Welcome Packet with everything you need to know—detailed schedules, packing list recommendations, add-ons to consider, and more.

  • We'd recommend booking your transportation to and from the event as soon as possible, to ensure you can arrive without any complications or delays.

  • Now all that's left to do is pack your bags and get excited for your new adventure.

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