Calling all volunteers! This festival would not be possible without the help of volunteers. Looking for a fun activity? Grab your friends and head on over to the Historic Boston Fish Pier. Volunteer shifts are 4 hours long, include free entry, a festival t-shirt, a behind the scenes look at the whole operation, boxed lunch, beverages & snacks!
Jobs range from front gate entry, chef demo tent assistant, to oyster shucking contest time keeper! There is something for everyone.
Interested in signing up? Reach out to our volunteer coordinator by clicking the button below.
Thank you to all of our 2023 volunteers! This event will be held rain or shine, and it will be a good time regardless. Below is some information about the different role assignments to help you know what to expect tomorrow.
Please check in at the info | Volunteer check-in tent (A on the map) at least 30 minutes before your shift starts to pick up your t-shirt, grab something to drink or eat, and receive a quick orientation training. The Boston Fisheries Foundation office is reserved for volunteers and staff only.
If you need to reach me for any reason, locate someone with a radio, and they will contact me. I'm sincerely looking forward to meeting all of you on Sunday, September 10th.
Above all, remember to save some time to explore and enjoy the festival! It's going to be a fun time, no matter what Mother Nature has in store for us. Once again, thank you!
For our 2023 Volunteers
Front Gate Bag Check | Eventbrite (B on the map): You're the face of the festival, the first stop for guests as they enter. This is a two-person job. Here, one person will check in guests to scan their already purchased tickets, and the other will place the corresponding wristband on them (you will be at a table with chairs). Please note that the first 500 people who purchased tickets will be part of our BITES program, which means they get to enjoy free samples from a predefined list of vendors. That information will be available at your station.
Front Gate Bag Check | Ticket Sales (C on the map): You're the face of the festival, the first stop for guests as they enter. This is a two-person job. Here, one person will sell tickets to guests (we have a variety of ticket options that will be available at your table), while the other will place the corresponding wristband on them (you will be at a table with chairs).
Chef Demo Tent East & West (F and D respectively on the map): You're in for a unique experience with our full chef kitchens from Clarke Kitchens. We have 17 different chefs who will be giving 30-minute cooking demonstrations. Three people will be stationed at each tent; two will help portion out the food that the chef cooks and distribute it to the audience, while the other will be shuttling the pots and pans back and forth between the cleaning stations on a cart (don't worry - you don't need to clean the dishes). Get a chance to meet the different chefs and sample what they make!
Fish Cutting | Oyster Shucking (H on the map): Get ready for a shucking good time. Every year, we host a competition for the best shucker in Boston, and it takes place at this stage. Your job will be to assist in setting up the competition (placing oysters on trays, etc.) and then stand with a stopwatch behind your assigned competitor to time their work and report it to the judges! It's a battle to see who can shuck the most perfect oysters in the shortest amount of time (time penalties will be added for anything less than perfection).
Lobster Bake Tent (I on the map): If you don't start drooling here, you don't have a pulse! You'll be the cashiers for the lobster bake tent, checking tickets to see if guests have purchased a lobster bake in advance at the front gate or taking orders right there. We'll have someone there to train you on the registers and answer any questions.