Volunteer at Powell Street Festival 2025
Powell Street Festival is an annual celebration of Japanese Canadian art and culture. We rely on hundreds of volunteers to make this festival the wonderful event that it is! Volunteering is a great opportunity to meet new friends, spend time with friends and family, and get behind the scenes of this vibrant and special event. See more perks of volunteering below.
The 49th Annual Powell Street Festival will take place Saturday, August 2 and Sunday, August 3, 2025. Volunteer opportunities span Thursday, July 31 — Tuesday, August 5. Applications are now open! Click the link below to submit your volunteer application!
As a Volunteer, you’ll:
- Meet new friends and help bring the festival to life!
- Get free lunch on Friday if you help set up.
- Get vouchers to spend at food and marketplace booths if you volunteer during the Festival on Saturday or Sunday. 4 hours = $10 voucher. Vouchers are like cash and vendors will provide change. You will receive your food voucher at the Volunteer Booth at the end of your shift.
- Get free snacks & hydration drink the Volunteer Chill Space.
- Get free dinner if you stay for Sunday take-down until the end.
- Get a Powell Street Festival hachimaki! (headband)
- Join the Volunteer Appreciation Dinner Party after the festival! This is a dry event.
And more! Become a volunteer to find out!
Festival Volunteer Roles
We have a range of volunteer roles available during Festival Weekend. Some involve walking, lifting, and using a dolly, while others are more seated. You’ll be working with other volunteers or staff, and many roles include interacting with the public, artists, and fellow volunteers as you move around the site. Sign up for the roles that interest you!
Festival Weekend Roles
Asahi Pitch Game – Manage the Asahi Pitch Game: Powell Street Festival’s own fair game celebrating the historic Asahi baseball game! As part of Interactive Zone, collect tickets, keep the line organized, explain the rules and prizes of the game, and distribute prizes.
Mainly interacting with our littlest festival goers! You will be for leading activities such as origami, suika-wari (watermelon game), face painting as well as doing crafts with children and parents.
A Daruma is a traditional Japanese doll. Walk around in our giant Daruma costume to greet and interact with festival goers! The Daruma also needs a friend to walk alongside them and greet festival goers together! The Daruma’s friend will be doing the talking for the Daruma and handing out Daruma’s business cards.
Chatting with festival guests on their experiences and helping them complete our annual survey.
Support the firehall theatre programming.
This volunteer position entails (and requires) versatility. You will fill-in for others, help with stage equipment and help monitor the Festival site, among other things. Heavy lifting may be involved (but is not required).
Support coordinators with their food ordering.
Be the eyes and ears of the festival! You will patrol the festival site while keeping an eye out for potential issues. Also help Festival goers by answering questions about the Festival.
Interactive Zone – Leading children’s activities such as suika wari (watermelon game), kiai contest (shouting), tug-a-war, macro maki (sushi costumes), Asahi pitch game.
Load-out takes place on the Thursday preceding the festival, and Load-in happens the Monday after. Help us load in and out festival gear and supplies.
Macro Maki is our popular plush sushi costumes. Help festival goers put them on, or assist them in taking photos!
Be the voice of the festival, announce performances
Ensure the cleanliness and safety of the area before set-up. Duties include picking up waste and needles. (gloves, tongs, buckets, etc provided)
Help with the Omikoshi event (clear the way, lift the Mikoshi, etc.)
Take photos and videos of the festival.
Ensuring the chairs are set up, water and cups are replenished, making sure the Diamond Stage is visible and not blocked during performances.
These volunteers are key to a successful festival! We do set-up on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, with tear-down happening on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. For Friday Set-up Volunteers, we provide bento boxes and for Sunday tear-down volunteers, we provide dinner afterwards. Involves heavy lifting! Watch this video about set-up: How to Set Up a Tent (English)
Help visitors find their way! Put up signs, posters, banners and boards, and chalking the sidewalks to attract visitors.
Duties include assisting with registration and set-up of Sumo Tournament. Some heavy lifting may be required.
Assist with vehicles during setup, loading/unloading, and redirect traffic away from the festival site.
Keep an eye out on the entrances to the Vancouver Buddhist Temple.
Help VJLS coordinator with events that are happening at the Japanese Language School.
Helping volunteers check in and out of their shifts.
Make sure our volunteers are well fed, hydrated, and happy at the Chill Space beside the Volunteer Booth. Keeping the food space tidy and clean. You may be asked to cut fruit and deliver snacks to volunteers.
Assist with recycling, composting, waste disposal, supporting festival-goers, and replacing full waste totes with new ones.
Behind The Scenes
Pick up & delivery of supplies for the festival. Must be comfortable driving a pick-up truck and have a valid Class 5 License.
Sell (and buy!) lottery tickets for our annual festival fundraiser to your friends, family, and colleagues from May until July.
Data Management, organizing supplies, preparing mail outs, preparing documents, and other administrative tasks.
Advertise the festival by putting up posters in different areas across the Lower Mainland.
Have you volunteered before and want to get more involved? Joining the Festival Committee might be a good fit for you.
The Festival Committee is a crew of dedicated volunteers who coordinate the logistics and production of the Festival. Over 30 volunteers each year are recruited for these positions. Most positions demand a full two-day commitment, in addition to preparatory work leading up to the festival. These volunteer coordinator positions are confirmed in the spring of each year.
Contact for festival volunteer opportunities – volunteer [at] powellstreetfestival.com.
