Community Festival is a non-profit organization run by volunteers who work year-round through committees and general meetings to produce the festival each June. We welcome new members and new ideas. We make decisions based on a consensus model grounded in our core principles and code of regulations. You can learn more by visiting us on the web at comfest.com and our Community Festival Facebook page.
Community Festival looks easier than it really is. More than three dozen organizers work on it all year when nobody’s looking. Each autumn, festival organizers host a planning retreat to work on improving the festival and strengthening community relations.
In early March each year, Community Festival sponsors a logo contest that attracts creative individuals who share their artistic talents hoping their winning design will grace volunteer T-shirts, beer mugs and the Program Guide cover. The contest brings people together and helps celebrate the local arts community.
In early May the annual membership meeting attracts organizers, volunteers and community organization representatives. We gather for a meal, conversation, a bit of business, and conclude with the most rewarding thing we get to do each year: distribute grants to support worthy innovative programs of local community organizations.
Involvement in community projects and other city events is how ComFesters promote the spirit of the organization throughout the year.
Today’s organizers are the beneficiaries of many decades of planning and momentum, but there is always room for new volunteers ready to take the next step, from working at the festival to joining a committee and making ComFest something you do rather than simply attend.
2020 and the first half of 2021 have been a challenge for everyone. ComFest was faced again with making the difficult decision to cancel the traditional Goodale Park festival and develop another virtual festival. We all would have preferred to gather in Goodale Park and see friends and have a normal festival. If ComFest just magically popped out of the ground at the end of June, we could have done that. The reality of City permits, logistical details and time did not work in our favor
2022 will give us the opportunity to resume the party with a purpose in Goodale Park. It will be a special festival as it will be the 50th year of the Community Festival.
Maybe this will be your year to step up and put your talents to work in helping to produce the city’s best annual festival. Why not surprise yourself?
By: ComFest Program Staff
