There are 9 great days of the North Dakota State Fair, and that means 9 great days that need to have staffing at everything from the concerts to the entrance gates to the parking lots to the barns, just to name a few.
The formula is pretty simple according to Daryl Frye, Facility Rentals and Service Groups, “we look for community groups to supply volunteers to help out with the State Fair, and we re-imburse them for their time, which can be a great fund-raiser for them. We have job positions for everyone. There are more opportunities than ever for these organizations to help out and make extra dollars for their group.”
There are a lot of new groups that have taken the opportunity to jump on board and help out at the fair to raise money “we have the curling club out here this year, and the Alzheimer’s Association and even the Minot Public School Foundation helping out and making money” according to Frye.
“Another point I would like to point out is that there are limited opportunities for people to volunteer for a shift, make money for their organization and in addition, get their brand out in front of the public. I can look at groups like Special Olympics that help out with picking up trash in the mornings on the fairgrounds, and I have told them that if they come in with their t-shirts and stay in a group, people will see them and recognize that these folks are certainly committed to helping out Special Olympics and keeping their name and their brand in front of the public. This is an opportunity to put your jerseys on, pass out your schedules, it’s all about building relationships and this (the North Dakota State Fair) is a great place to do it!”
For groups looking to make money, the North Dakota State Fair provides not only the opportunities, but the training, and in most cases the volunteers, if they work 4 hours in a day, will receive free admission to the fair. “I kind of look at it this way. Whatever we, at the North Dakota State Fair, can do to make this a great experience, we will. If they sign up in advance (on the ND State Fair web site) we can give them a schedule so they can re-arrange their work schedule to not only volunteer, but to spend time attending the ND State Fair” says Frye. “We all people to show up for work at 5 PM to help out at the gates of a concert, and once we get through the busy time we can cut staff and the volunteer can attend the concert. So, a volunteer comes to the fair, receives a free gate admission if they work a long enough shift and then get to attend a concert or have fun at the fair. It really is a good deal for these groups. We try to help them (volunteer groups) make as much as possible and have fun doing it.”
During the ND State Fair there are 2-300 volunteer positions to fill every day “which means we more than likely have an opportunity for every group that is looking to be part of the volunteers at the fair” continues Frye.
There are several volunteer stories that will be shared in the next few weeks about volunteers at the ND State Fair, and how they have enjoyed working at the fair, and in turn have made money for groups they are associated with.
To find out more about how to get your group involved in volunteering at the ND State Fair, click here. It will take you to a special page that talks about the volunteer jobs available at the 2025 North Dakota State Fair.
