Bratwurst Festival Volunteering FAQ
When is the festival?
The 2024 Great Wallingford Bratwurst Festival is open to the public:
- Friday, September 20, from 4pm - 10pm
- Saturday, September 21, from 10am - 10pm
How many volunteer hours does my family need to provide?
Families are expected to volunteer at least 15 hours during Bratwurst Festival week. Preschool/PreK families (with no older students) volunteer at least 10 hours. Single parent families volunteer at least 7.5 hours.
Any hours volunteered over these minimums count towards your annual volunteer commitment (40 hours for families, 20 hours for Pre/PreK families, 20 hours for single parent families).
Who can help with my volunteer requirements?
Volunteer hours can be fulfilled by you, a friend, a grandparent, other family member, etc as long as they have an up-to-date background check. A Food Handlers Permit is required for volunteer roles with food work.
When do I need to volunteer?
Volunteer opportunities begin with set up the week of the Bratwurst Festival and end with take down roles happening on Sunday and the beginning of the following week.
If the job is posted on Membership Toolkit under Bratwurst Festival 2024 Volunteer Opportunities, it counts towards your festival hours.
How do I sign up to volunteer?
Jobs are posted on Membership Toolkit here: Bratwurst Festival 2024 Volunteer Opportunities
After you select a job, scroll to the bottom of the page and click SAVE. Need to change a sign up? Uncheck the box with your name next to the job and scroll to the bottom of the page and click SAVE.
Online sign ups will close on Wednesday, September 18 at 9:00pm. If you have changes after this time, you need to contact your area lead and our volunteer coordinator, Annie Kirk.
What skills do I need to volunteer?
No experience is necessary! Area leads are available to show you what to do, whether working in a food booth, book room, or fun zone games.
A Food Handlers Permit is required for many jobs and is noted in role descriptions. Click here for the quick online course and test.
How long is my Food Handlers Permit valid?
Your initial food worker card is valid for 2 years, so if you took the test last year, you're still good to go.
Click here for the quick online course and test if you need to renew (or your first card). You're eligible for a 3-year card when you renew before expiration.
I see each class bakes items for the Sweet Shop. Do those baking hours count as volunteer hours?
No, time baking or shopping for ingredients for your Sweet Shop baked goods do not count towards your Bratwurst Festival volunteer hours.
What am I supposed to bake for the Sweet Shop? When do I drop items off?
Baking assignments vary by class. Find the complete list of Family Baking Assignments here (pdf)!
We can accept baked goods starting Thursday afternoon, September 19 in the school cafeteria. Please complete the sign in sheet when dropping items off. Please bring your baked goods in no later than Friday, September 20 at 12:00pm.
How do I get credit for my volunteer hours?
Completed your shift? Enter your hours into membership toolkit to get credit! Record your hours here.
Please enter your hours based on shift. DO NOT combine all hours. Example:
- Entry 1: Fun Zone Game Supervisor, 4 hours, 9/20/24
- Entry 2: Kitchen Crew, 6 hours, 9/21/24
- Entry 3: Sausage Booth Food Service, 5 hours, 9/21/24
Record your hours by end of day on Friday, September 27 to receive credit.
What happens if my family doesn't volunteer?
Families will be billed $40 per unmet Bratwurst Festival volunteer hour. The school will bill in early October for unmet hours.
What happens if my family volunteers more hours than required?
Any hours over the required Bratwurst Festival minimums count towards your overall volunteer hour minimums for the year (40 hours per family, 20 hours per Preschool/PreK family, 20 hours per single parent family). Thanks for the extra help!
