VOLUNTEER

The Gasparilla Festival of the Arts would not be possible without the help of hundreds of individuals who generously donate their time and talents.

Our crew of festival weekend volunteers are the most visible as they successfully manage everything from artist hospitality, concessions, merchandise, children’s activities to answering questions and directing traffic. Behind the scenes, dedicated year-round committee volunteers fundraise, market, coordinate and facilitate the many activities festival-goers enjoy, such as live entertainment, VIP and Showcase events, artist load-in and load-out and community outreach.

Consider supporting the arts in Tampa Bay by volunteering for the Gasparilla Festival of the Arts!

Be a Gasparilla Arts Volunteer: Ignite Creativity, Empower Artists

Festival Weekend Volunteers

2026 Festival Weekend Volunteer Sign-Ups are coming soon.

Watch this space in early 2026 to sign up for volunteer slots for our 2026 Festival.

2024 Festival Weekend Volunteer Sign-Up is Open!

Opportunities are available to assist with Artist Hospitality, Concessions, Merchandise and many others. Sign up for your chosen day and time slot(s) by clicking the “SignUp” button below.

Here’s how it works:

  1. Click the button below to view our page on SignUp
  2. Review the options listed and choose the spot(s) you like. Then Click Save.
  3. Sign up! It’s Easy – you will NOT need to register an account or keep a password on SignUp.


All volunteers receive a festival T-shirt!

Click to View Volunteer Opportunities on SignUp

This PDF includes important information about your GFA Volunteer activities. This information will also be emailed to registered volunteers in the weeks before the festival.

Q&A

When and where is the Festival?

The 55th Annual Gasparilla Festival of the Arts will take place March 1-2, 2025, 9am-6pm Saturday and 10am–5pm Sunday. Please note that some volunteer activities take place on February 27 and 28, the days preceding the festival. In addition, some volunteer activities take place outside the hours the event is open to the public. The Festival is held at Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park, 1001 North Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33607

Where do I park? Where do I check in?

Information regarding parking, check-in location, etc. is included in a volunteer packet emailed in the weeks prior to festival weekend. A Zoom orientation is scheduled ahead of the festival. A Zoom link will be sent out the week before the scheduled orientation. Participation in orientation is not mandatory.

Is there a training session for volunteers?

A Zoom orientation is scheduled ahead of the festival. A link will be sent out the week before the scheduled orientation. Participation in orientation is not mandatory.

Additional information can be found in the Volunteer Information Packet PDF which is sent out weeks ahead of the Festival.

Can we sign-up as a group?

To coordinate groups of volunteers (students, volunteer organizations, corporate volunteers etc.) please reach out to Jenifer Trejo Alvarez directly at:

volunteer@gasparillaarts.com

Have questions?

For general questions, please contact Jenifer Trejo Alvarez directly at:

volunteer@gasparillaarts.com

Committee Volunteers

The Gasparilla Festival of the Arts is supported year-round by a dedicated group of committee volunteers. These volunteers assist behind the scenes to coordinate and implement festival functions and events from marketing to signage to artist hospitality.

Committee volunteers enjoy many benefits including gathering and celebration invitations, professional networking and camaraderie. They get a free T-shirt, too.

As our committee volunteer needs change from year to year, committee membership is assigned by our Board of Directors with the assistance of our three Festival Co-Chairs. If you are interested in committee membership, a full list of GFA committees, as well as an application form, is available on our Festival Committee page.

Leadership Positions

THIS SECTION IS OPTIONAL.

The GFA Board of Directors is currently looking for dedicated individuals who are passionate about art and its positive impact on our community. Our Board values those who have significant connections to our local community and possess a deep appreciation for art in all its forms. We are searching for team players who are eager to collaborate with like-minded individuals on exciting projects that bring art to the forefront of our community. As a member of our Board of Directors, you will have the opportunity to work with artists, collectors, art enthusiasts, and community leaders to foster a truly vibrant arts scene. Your role as a Board Member will be to help expand our outreach and bring more art-related activities to our community. Join us now and make a meaningful impact on the art scene and our community!

Other ways to Support the Festival

Sponsorships

From student scholarships to support for emerging artists, we have a sponsorship opportunity for you. Visit our Support the Festival page to view all sponsorship opportunities.

Ticketed Events

Elevate your Festival experience with tickets to our VIP Tent and the Artist Awards Showcase.

Collectors Krewe

The Collectors Krewe enables individuals and businesses to support the artists directly, grow their personal collections, and receive a variety of benefits while doing so.

Blanket Approval

Blanket Approval is a 4-piece indie rock band from New York City. They formed in 2021 when lead singer Jack Matteucci took a collection of demos recorded in the basement of his physics lab, moved to Brooklyn, and met drummer/singer Joey Hadden. The two were later joined by bassist Max Mena and keyboardist/guitarist/singer Rahul Chakraborty.  The group has played dozens of shows around New York City and the Northeast, from Burlington to Baltimore. They’ve released 10 singles to date, blending hard rock with tight melodies and groovy bass lines; drawing from influences like Portugal. The Man and Franz Ferdinand.

The Savants

The Savants are a nine piece southern soul group from Gainesville, FL. They perform original soul music inspired by the Muscle Shoals Sound as well as the iconic and legendary music that came out of labels like Stax Records and Atlantic Records during the 1960s & 1970s.

Formed in 2011 in Gainesville, FL, the group has undergone several personal changes over the years but settled into its current lineup around 2020.

The band has made its presence felt around the southeast, notably playing Red Gorilla at SXSW in 2017, Suwannee Hulaween in 2016 and Changeville in its hometown in 2018 and 2016. Along the way they have been featured alongside groups such as; Gary Clark Jr., Durand Jones and the Indications, St. Paul and the Broken Bones, Kendra Morris, Charles Bradley and His Extraordinares, George Porter Jr of the Meters, The Original Wailers, The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, Postmodern Jukebox and more.

TV Breakup Scene

Tv Breakup Scene is an indie pop punk band from Tampa, FL inspired by Paramore with a gaze-y twist. After a year of writing they finally made their debut with their new release Troubled Mind!

Nick Ewing

Music’s ability to release energy within us is overwhelming. Capturing moments of emotion and expression to elicit that reaction is such a joyful honor. It’s allowed me to connect, create, and cultivate so many beautiful experiences. Let this be with you… Cheers!

Mia Marlene

Danish-American, California-born, and Florida-raised multi-instrumentalist Mia Marlene offers a vibrant sonic world through her indie pop music, which is infused with hues of 1980’s synth pop and lush, captivating melodies. Her self-produced debut album, “good for my art,”  features songs about living abroad, creative aspirations, and terrible exes (because, well, you know).

Mia Marlene’s music is anchored in her many experiences living in London, Copenhagen, Colorado, and Washington D.C.; places that shaped her sonic vision and imprinted onto her the wealth of the human experience, and how all of these experiences can serve as creative fuel for songwriting and music-making.

Prizilla

PRIZILLA is a pop-soul whirlwind, where horns wail, melodies sparkle, and every beat feels like an invitation. With a microphone in one hand and a saxophone in the other, she leads her band through a kaleidoscope of pop, funk, and soul, crafting music that’s as bold as it is unforgettable. It’s a sound that dances between the playful and the profound, wrapping stories in irresistible rhythms that refuse to stand still.

 Since releasing PEOPLE PERSON, their debut EP, the band has been turning heads and moving feet. With over 50,000 fans following along online, PRIZILLA has earned a reputation for live shows that are part concert, part catharsis, and entirely unmissable.

  The band has shared stages with Nick Hakim and Madison McFerrin, lit up NYC with Couch and The Retrograde, and shaken the rafters with St. Paul & the Broken Bones and Flipturn at FL Fin Fest. PRIZILLA shows no signs of stopping, proving that music isn’t just something you hear—it’s something you feel. And they feel it. This is music for anyone who craves the unexpected, the unforgettable, and the kind of energy that makes you lose track of time. Come for the sax solos; stay for the magic.

Pusha Preme

The Bronx New York-based singer-producer Pusha Preme has been making waves with his delicate blend of heartfelt melodies; Goal-oriented lyrics, and harmonies that reel you in like a fish on a hook. Above all, Pusha’s music is often praised for its high intimacy and familiar themes that find their way to a special place in the listener’s heart.

MK Blessed

Mk Blessed was born in Congo Kinshasa in Sep 18th  He is a singer/songwriter and a speaker who started writing songs at the age of 7 and taught them to His Church worship team, which enjoyed singing His songs.

He formed His first Music group at the Age of 10 and was doing secular music.

When He was 13 he fled his home country and went to a Refugee camp due to war, He lived there for 10 years and then immigrated to the USA in 2016, though He has been writing for a while Mk Blessed released His first single on Dec,  4 2021 entitled Faithful God.

MK blessed is a husband of one wife and a father of two girls, He went to Kampala High School and later attended Bible college in Uganda East Africa, He is a founder of a non profit organization named Fociom that shares love with the underprivileged of the world like himself, Mk Blessed passion is to help others.

Izzy Bradburn

Singer, songwriter, guitarist. I aim to write emotional music that addresses the world we live in and how it makes us all feel.

Boho Sideshow

This unique & unscripted collection of Sideshow characters are of various talents and backgrounds to make for a spectacle of amazing musical entertainment. Experience the anecdotal mishaps from the wild to the fantastical. Boho Sideshow comes from parts unknown, but are known for performing an exhibition of Eclectic Americana Music.

Fabiola Méndez

FABIOLA MÉNDEZ is a Puerto Rican cuatrista, singer, educator, and Emmy-nominated composer. Her artistic vision and original music focus on the exploration of her culture, her ancestry, and her identities.

Native to Caguas, PR, Fabiola began playing the cuatro, Puerto Rico’s national instrument, at the age of six. She got her early music trainings at the Antonio Paoli School of Music in Caguas and her Bachelor’s in Music from Berklee College of Music, where in 2018 she made history as the first graduate to play the Puerto Rican cuatro as principal instrument.

Fabiola’s mission has always been to share and celebrate the cuatro, folk music, and collective story-telling. In doing so, she’s had the honor of performing at venues such as the NPR Tiny Desk, Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC, Celebrity Series of Boston, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, Fred Rogers Productions, Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña, among many others. She has also collaborated with many local and international artists, including the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra, Totó La Momposina, Pedro Capó, Andy Montañez, Danny Rivera, Chicago Philharmonic, and the Boston Landmarks Orchestra.

Her list of recordings include: Herencia Criolla (2009), Al Otro Lado Del Charco (2019), Afrorriqueña (2021), and Flora Campesina (2024). In 2022, she produced her first
documentary “Negrura”, showcasing Afro-Latinx stories in topics around colorism and discrimination within our own communities.

In recent years, she’s had the honor of receiving recognitions such as the Quincy Jones Award, ambassador for the Puerto Rican Day Parade in NYC, the Brother Thomas Fellowship, the Whippoorwill Arts Fellowship, and the ASCAP Foundation Lucille and Jack Yellen Award 2022. She was also nominated for a Children’s and Family Emmy in the category of Outstanding Interactive Media and won the “Latin Artist of the Year 2023” by the Boston Music Awards. Her music is featured on the film Beautiful, FL (Disney+), on the tv shows Alma’s Way, Work It Out Wombats (PBS Kids), and Mecha Builders (HBO Max), as well as indie films, jingles, and TV commercials.