The annual Plum Fest in Plum Coulee is preparing to welcome crowds once again this summer, and organizers are calling on volunteers to help make the festival possible.
The festival, which draws hundreds to Plum Coulee each year, is entirely volunteer run. “Everybody comes together, gives a little bit of time, and makes the festival happen for the weekend,” says Erica Dyck, who currently serves as the festival committee chair.
20–30 Volunteers needed for a successful weekend
Running meals, setting up and tearing down, and overseeing events all rely on volunteer power. “We run, between all our meals and everything, I would say 20 to 30 volunteers,” Erica estimates. “We’re always looking for more. We can never have enough. There’s always something to do.”
Whether someone can help for just 30 minutes or stay for the full weekend, there’s a place for them. “It can be anything — half an hour, to an hour, to half a day, to the whole weekend,” she explains.
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Dyck emphasizes that no special experience is needed to volunteer. “I don’t think you really need any skill set to be involved in anything, and we take all ages,” she says.
Plum Fest also sees support from youth and local organizations. “We have lots of youth volunteers. We have the YIP out of Plum Coulee that come and volunteer. We have the sports committee that volunteers.”
Food is a community affair
One of the highlights of Plum Fest is the food — and much of it is made and served by volunteers.
“We do have food trucks and stuff, but we do a lot of our fundraising through meals that we provide,” said Dyck. “We have the Saturday waffle breakfast, which is all done by volunteers. We have our suppers that are done Friday and Saturday night, that are also done by volunteers. And then of course our Sunday lunch is also volunteers.”
Get involved
Plum Fest takes place August 15–17, 2025. Those interested in volunteering can visit the festival’s website or attend the next planning meeting.
“The meeting is at the Senior Center in Plum Coulee at 7:30 on the 15th of July,” said Dyck.
For anyone still on the fence, she offered encouragement: “You’ll have fun once you’re there.”