Edmond arts festival needs volunteers

Courtney Bryce
Special to The Sun

EDMOND March 25, 2008 01:03 pm

— The 2008 Downtown Edmond Arts Festival, which is scheduled for the first weekend in May, would not be complete without the hundreds of people who volunteer during the event.
Diane Emmons, volunteer coordinator, said about 200 people volunteer each year for the festival on Broadway from Second Street to Main Street. She said 40 of those volunteers include local Boy Scouts who man the barricades.
“If the Boy Scouts weren’t there it would be harder to keep Broadway clear,” Emmons said.
She said mostly the volunteers are responsible for the hands-on section of the children’s area, which will be at the Festival Market Place this year, and relieving artists when they need to take a break. People already have signed up to paint faces and tattoos and monitor the children’s art project.
Dennis and Margaret Heitmann will relieve artists at the Edmond Arts Festival for the third consecutive year.
“I’m a retired teacher and the arts have always been important to me,” Margaret Heitmann said. “I think Edmond does a great job with art.”
She said she enjoys getting to visit with people and interacting with the artists.
“I love just seeing what the artists have created,” she said. “It’s such a special part of life to have these beautiful things for us to enjoy.”
Rob McCubbin has volunteered during the Edmond Arts Festival for four years.
He said he is retired and the event is one of many local events he volunteers for throughout the year.
“It’s a good way to help out the Arts Council,” he said.
McCubbin said he relieves the artists when they need to take breaks or runs errands for them if they can’t take time away from their booths.
“It’s fun. I enjoy being outside. I enjoy looking at art,” he said.
Emmons said she still is looking for about 60 volunteers that are high school age or older to help with this year’s arts festival. The arts festival will feature more than 100 artists.

FOR MORE information about volunteering, e-mail edmondartsfest@aol.com.

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