Anna Wood: HR Manager, Volunteer Services
I’ve been working with the Team Behind Bluesfest since the fall of 2011, and every year I have my festival moment where something inspires me beyond what I ever expected.
When I first moved to Ottawa in the summer of 2010, I volunteered with the Instrument Care Crew at the Ottawa Folk Festival (the predecessor of what is now City Folk). I learned very quickly that Ottawa is a city with a remarkable volunteer community, and a healthy respectable crew of what I like to call ‘serial volunteers’. They’re the ones that you see at every festival this city has to offer. They are taking tickets at one location, serving beer at another, and sitting on a board of directors at yet another. We really couldn’t have the city that we do without these remarkable and generous folks.
Here at RBC Bluesfest and CityFolk we have the pleasure of meeting and working with over 5000 volunteers each year during our festival season. Over 180 of them hold volunteer leadership positions with us, and another 300 take on supervisory roles at the festivals. We have a robust youth volunteer contingent, and it always inspires me to hear that some of our 10+ year volunteers started with us when they were as young as 15.
Our volunteer community always has lots of room to grow. Youth can gain their first job experience while volunteering. A family may make it a tradition to volunteer on the same crew. You’ll often see a festival veteran celebrate their 20th year of service with us. Along with the ever growing numbers of memorable concerts year after year, volunteer life always shines bright as 
a highlight for me.