Come and have a good time, and help us out!

NOTE: I have worked at this Festival for 14 years, and it is Memphis' hidden gem.  Click on the links to learn more!

Founded in 1972, the Center for Southern Folklore is a private, nonprofit organization whose mission is to preserve, defend, protect and promote the music, culture, arts, and rhythms of the South. The Center also offers music events and educational programs, maintains its multimedia archives, Folklore Store, and website.

For over two decades, the Center has produced its signature event, the Memphis Music & Heritage Festival. This free event presents the best of our region to visitors and locals, celebrating the changing face of Memphis and the Mid-South:

* Artists whose music has defined our region to the world
* Traditional and contemporary folk artists and craftspeople
* Southern & ethnic cooks
* Dancers, storytellers and representatives of their cultural communities


The Memphis Music & Heritage Festival is held Labor Day Weekend in downtown Memphis.


We request volunteer assistance from your organization in producing these events. We need to fill, in all, about 350 four-hour volunteer shifts. We are grateful for any volunteers that your organization can provide. Volunteers will perform a variety of tasks including the following:

* Assist with musicians, artists, craftspeople, & talkers
* Providing festivalgoers with information
* Festival t-shirt and merchandise sales
* Set-up, maintenance and tear-down of site
* Security and trolley guard
* Beer & beverage sales
* Serve and prepare Southern dinners
* Hospitality


A strong volunteer base is the key to making the Memphis Music & Heritage Festival a success. This success is measured in a tangible way by the smooth operations during the event and the financial gains realized in merchandise, food & beverage sales and donations. The intangible is in the feelings elicited from the spectators and the participants, who are excited about sharing their talents, stories, and culture.


For more information, please contact:

Melanie Miller, Festival Volunteer Coordinator.

Center for Southern Folklore

119 S. Main St., Memphis, TN 38103

(901) 525-3655 or (901) 544-9965 fax

volunteers@southernfolklore.org

or melmiller930@gmail.com