Bratwurst Festival Volunteering FAQ
When is the festival?
The 2025 Great Wallingford Bratwurst Festival is open to the public:
- Friday, September 12, from 4pm - 10pm
- Saturday, September 13, from 10am - 10pm
What do families need to do for the festival?
To make the Great Wallingford Bratwurst Festival a success, St. Ben's families are asked to support in the following ways:
- Volunteer during the Festival week and/or weekend
- Sell Raffle Tickets
- Bake treats for the Sweet Shop sale
- Pick up and post Yard Signs in your neighborhood
- Bring your family and invite friends, family, and neighbors to attend the Festival!
More information on volunteer hours, raffle ticket sales, baking assignments, and other Festival details are included in the FAQ articles below. Here are important Festival dates to keep in mind:
How many volunteer hours does my family need to provide?
Volunteer requirements for the 2025 Bratwurst Festival week are:
- K - 8 families: at least 17 hours
- Preschool/PreK families (with no older students): at least 10 hours
- Single parent families: at least 8.5 hours
If the job is posted on Membership Toolkit under Bratwurst Festival 2025 Volunteer Opportunities, it counts towards your Festival week hours.
All festival hours volunteered count towards your annual volunteer commitment (40 hours for K - 8 families, 20 hours for Pre/PreK families, 20 hours for single parent families). Volunteering extra hours during the festival is a great way to get ahead for the school year!
How do I sign up to volunteer?
Signs ups open on Monday, August 25 at 8:00pm. Sign up to volunteer on Membership Toolkit here! Be sure to click 'SAVE' at the bottom of the page after you select shifts.
Online sign ups close on Wednesday, September 10th at 9:00pm. If you have changes after this time, you need to contact your area lead and our volunteer coordinator, Annie Kirk.
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 with the school office. A Food Handlers Permit is required for volunteer roles with food work.
When do I need to volunteer?
Most 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 2025 Volunteer Opportunities, it counts towards your Festival hours.
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.
How many Raffle Tickets do I need to sell? When do I turn ticket stubs in?
Each family is asked to sell 5 books of raffle tickets. Each book contains five tickets and tickets are $5 each. All ticket stubs and payments should be turned into the school office by Thursday, September 11. Any unsold tickets should also be turned in at this time.
Families will receive raffle ticket books during Open House on August 25th and the first days of school.
Do raffle ticket sales count as volunteer hours?
No. Time selling raffle tickets do not count towards your Bratwurst Festival volunteer hours.
What should I 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 (word doc)!
We can accept baked goods starting Thursday afternoon, September 11. Friday deliveries go to the cafeteria. Please complete the sign in sheet when dropping items off. Please bring your baked goods in no later than Friday, September 12 at 12:00pm.
Do baking hours for the Sweet Shop 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.
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, 9/12/25
- Entry 2: Kitchen Crew, 6 hours, 9/13/25
- Entry 3: Sausage Booth Food Service, 5 hours, 9/13/25
Record your hours by end of day on Friday, September 19 to receive credit.
What happens if my family doesn't volunteer?
Families will be billed $75 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?
All Bratwurst Festival hours 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). Volunteering extra hours during the festival is a great way to complete your hours for the school year. Thanks for the extra help!
