What it was like volunteering at Bonnaroo
It’s worth the sweat and sleep deprivation
Just a few weeks ago I was in the middle of Tennessee enjoying four straight days of music for FREE. Let’s start from the beginning.
A few years back, I heard about volunteering at Bonnaroo. I finally made that dream a reality this summer. Here’s how it works: you fill out an application to volunteer and pay a $25 non-refundable fee. It’s a simple application with basic information, such as what volunteer C’roo you prefer to be on, the top three bands you want to see over the weekend and so on. Once your application has been accepted, you pay a $300 fee, which you get back after you volunteer. The faster you pay this fee, the more likely you are to get the top C’roo of your choice.
My friend and I were first placed on the partner activities C’roo, but were later dropped because they did not need as many volunteers as they expected. We were then moved to the logistics and set-up C’roo, which turned out to be way more enjoyable than it sounds.
Volunteering has many perks other than getting a free ticket to Bonnaroo. The most important is unlimited free showers. Anyone who has been to a music festival before knows how amazing that is. Also, you get a meal token for every shift you work, free parking and camping and a free C’roo t-shirt.
Maggie and I were extremely blessed with the volunteer schedule we got. Not only did we get to work together, but we also didn’t miss any shows we wanted to see because of volunteering. As a during-show volunteer, you are required to work 18 hours and show up to the festival two days early.
Our first shift was actually on Wednesday, a day before the festival even started, from 12-6pm. We worked in the VIP area, sweeping and assisting with the set-up of their lounge cabanas. One of them belonged to Chris Bosh of the Miami Heat. Luckily, we were in the shade and the work was pretty easy.
The next morning we worked from 9am-3pm, which was also luckily before any music started. We basically just showed the VIPs who were “glamping” where to park. I was in the shade once again and since there were so many volunteers during that time, I really only had to get up once every 15-20 minutes. The best part of this whole experience was actually learning what glamping was and seeing how the upper class experiences a music festival.
Friday and Saturday were fortunately work-free for us. We saw so much music and I ate so many tacos and donuts. Truly blessed. The main thing to keep in mind during the festival is keeping your body healthy. Drink plenty of water, re-apply sunscreen and just try to pace yourself. And of course, always keep an open mind. The music we stumbled upon ended up being some of our favorite shows.
Sunday from 9am-3pm was our last volunteer shift of the weekend. By this time there wasn’t much left to do, so we did a variety of random tasks, from playing games to stuffing comforters in trash bags for storage. Coincidentally it was my 21st birthday, which was hilarious in my opinion. Never saw myself starting out my 21st by handing out water to wealthy people, but I wouldn’t have had it any other way.
Every single person I met was so open and friendly – from our neighbors to our fellow C’roo members and supervisors to the random people we met along the way. A weekend filled with music, laughter and the best donut I’ve ever had in my life. Can’t wait to see you on the farm next year.