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We are seeking enthusiastic and engaged members of our community to bring the 14th Annual Telling Tales Festival to life. On September 24th and 25th we will host over thirty of Canada’s finest children’s authors, illustrators and performers who will present their latest works in beautiful Hendrie Park at the Royal Botanical Gardens.
If you would like to be involved, we have a range of roles to suit your interests, abilities and your schedule. These will be clearly indicated on each volunteer job posting, and accommodations are always available for those who are interested but may need to adjust a given role. All volunteers will receive a package of information that describes your volunteer duties, along with our contact information so you can stay in touch beforehand if anything comes up.
Sign up and secure the role you want now!
Job postings and shift times on our website are live, and updated as they are filled. Please be sure to check what is available and sign up as soon as you are able to commit to a shift, as we can’t guarantee that it will remain open as we get closer to event day in September. Please review our Volunteer Agreement prior to signing up. Scroll down to find available jobs now!
Volunteers are the heart of Telling Tales and an essential part of this event. If you would like to contribute to this special day, but have a question or need an accommodation, you are very welcome to get in touch with us at volunteer@tellingtales.org.
Current Volunteer Positions
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Creative Workshop Volunteer
September 24, 2022 - September 25, 2022Royal Botanical Gardens, BurlingtonWe need friendly and outgoing volunteers to help at our busy Creative Workshop Stage. In this role, you will support Telling Tales authors and illustrators as they lead our young guests through hands-on, illustration & writing workshops and activities [...]Sign Up -
Festival Set-Up Volunteer (Friday, Sept. 23)
September 23, 2022 - September 23, 2022Royal Botanical Gardens, BurlingtonCome the day before the festival (Friday, September 23) and help get the RBG site ready for the Telling Tales Festival [...]Sign Up -
Festival Take-Down Volunteer
September 25, 2022 - September 25, 2022Royal Botanical Gardens, BurlingtonFestival Take Down is a critical role and we need volunteers to help pack up books from book swap; take down tents and signs; retrieve supplies from the stages and return materials to the truck [...]Sign Up -
Presenter Check-In Volunteer
September 24, 2022 - September 25, 2022Royal Botanical Gardens, BurlingtonWe are looking for friendly and welcoming people to check in our author/illustrator presenters, direct them to their stage or the Presenter Lounge, and problem-solve in order to ensure everything at Telling Tales runs smoothly from the presenter’s perspective [...]Sign Up -
Presenter Lounge Concierge
September 24, 2022 - September 25, 2022Royal Botanical Gardens, BurlingtonWe need friendly, service-oriented volunteers to ensure refreshments are delivered and restocked regularly in the Presenter Lounge. You might be asked to deliver refreshments or food orders to presenters at various stages [...]Sign Up -
Stage Runner
September 24, 2022 - September 25, 2022Royal Botanical Gardens, BurlingtonWe need friendly, outgoing volunteers who are natural “troubleshooters” to move around the festival from stage to stage and to all the activity areas (it is a great volunteer job as you really get to see the whole festival). You are checking in with stage managers, sponsors, and exhibitors [...]Sign Up -
Wandering Festival Ambassador
September 24, 2022 - September 25, 2022Royal Botanical Gardens, BurlingtonYou are checking in with families and answering any questions they might have. You will have a "most frequently asked" question cheat sheet and you will be oriented to all that is going on. You will have some festival swag to sell [...]Sign Up -
Welcome & Information Booth Volunteer
September 24, 2022 - September 25, 2022Royal Botanical Gardens, BurlingtonWe are looking for super friendly, extroverted multi-taskers to volunteer at our Telling Tales booth and encourage our guests to enter contests and sign up for our newsletter, collect donations and sell our merchandise [...]Sign Up -
Welcome Volunteer
September 24, 2022 - September 25, 2022Royal Botanical Gardens, BurlingtonWe are looking for super friendly, extroverted individuals who are excited to approach guests as they arrive at the main entrances to the Royal Botanical Gardens. You will greet guests, directing them to the Hendrie Park where the event takes place [...]Sign Up -
Event Photographer and Note Taker
September 24, 2022 - September 25, 2022Royal Botanical Gardens, BurlingtonWe need eagle-eyed volunteers to move around the festival, visiting all stages, activities, exhibitors, sponsors, and vendors. This is a great volunteer job as you really get to see the whole festival. You are photographing each of these areas, recording notes [...]Sign Up -
Book Swap Volunteer
September 23, 2022 - September 25, 2022Royal Botanical Gardens, BurlingtonWe need volunteers to help to operate the very popular book swap. Families arrive with previously loved books and children and adults use their loonies and toonies to buy other people's treasured children's books [...]Sign Up -
Global Garden Activity Centre Volunteer
September 24, 2022 - September 25, 2022Royal Botanical Gardens, BurlingtonWe need friendly and outgoing volunteers to help at our busy Global Garden Activity Centre. In this role, you will support Telling Tales community partners as they lead our young guests through arts & crafts and creative expression activities [...]Sign Up -
Festival Set-Up Volunteer
September 24, 2022 - September 25, 2022Royal Botanical Gardens, BurlingtonYou will be working with the volunteer leaders at the RBG to get everything ready for the start of the day [...]Sign Up -
Volunteer Check-in Volunteer
September 24, 2022 - September 25, 2022Royal Botanical Gardens, BurlingtonWe are looking for friendly and welcoming people to check-in volunteers, direct them to the appropriate volunteer station, and problem-solve in order to ensure [...]Sign Up