How many volunteers does it take to run a successful festival?

In the case of the 43rd Annual Homosassa Arts, Crafts, and Seafood Festival, close to 60.  The festival is a committee of the Homosassa Civic Club and most of the volunteers come from within the club but there are also many that come from our little community along with friends from Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, and Pinellas counties.

The planning for the next festival starts during the current one.  Notes are taken on how things can be done better, what worked, what didn’t.  And the planning continues throughout the year.

The manual labor begins the Monday before.  Marking the grounds and the parking area.  Setting up booths and canopies.  Getting the club house ready.  I can’t even list all of the tasks that must be finished before the first person walks through the gate on Saturday morning.

During the festival, the volunteers in their orange shirts are everywhere and each one of them has a task or two assigned but they do not hesitate to answer questions or give directions when asked.

After the festival, everything comes down, is cleaned up, and put away. Back to normal by the following Monday evening.

The VOLUNTEERS are why the festival gets better every year.

On Tuesday, November 28th, the Homosassa Civic Club held a much deserved Volunteer Appreciation Dinner.

And why do these volunteers work so hard?

Besides having a lot of fun, they know that the festival funds the Homosassa Civic Club and the club gives back to the community.

• Beri-Hagerty Phelps Scholarships for local students–over $7000 last year.
• FREE programs for the kids at the Old Homosassa Learning Center–group guitar lessons, group ukulele lessons, after-school program three days a week, six weeks of summer camp, yoga.
• FREE programs for the Adults–fishing seminars, weekly sewing workshop and ukulele jam.
• FREE wifi for the community
• Children’s Christmas Outreach
• Yoga for adults for only $5.00.
• Donations to the local 4H, Homosassa Elementary School Chorus and the Safety Patrol, Veterans Organizations, Boys and Girls Club, Young Marines, and Crest School
• A meeting place for the Homosassa Civic Club, the Homosassa River Alliance, the Old Homosassa Heritage Council, and the Homosassa Girl Scouts

The Homosassa Arts, Crafts, and Seafood Festival had another great year and the Homosassa Civic Club intends to reach out to the community with even more programs.

A big SHOUT OUT to our volunteers!