I have received lots of offers to help with set up, and for pouring beer, but I still have need of 2-hour shifts filled for parking, ticket booth, info booth, childrens area, garbage patrol, Highland Games liason, as well as volunteers to help with clean up and more food for the athletes (particularly fruit and cookies).  Remember, volunteering gets you in to the festival for FREE!

CALLING ALL VOLUNTEERS!!!

Volunteers are essential for a successful CelticFest! In addition to the adoration and appreciation of your fellow HAGGIS members, all volunteers receive free entrance to the CelticFest AND a really awesome button!

We have several needs, and I hope that you grab a friend or relative and sign up to help!

Here are the choices:

1) Saturday June 28th, we will need help setting up at the park from 12pm-5pm

Signed up so far: Nate and Susan, Matt and Paula

2) Early birds Sunday June 29th, 8am-10am, we will need help with finishing touches, possibly errand running, greeting and helping vendors and entertainers and seeing to their needs

Signed up so far: Nate and Susan, Matt and Paula, Erin S.

3) Clean up/take down June 29th, 6pm till finished

Signed up so far: Nate and Susan

4) Snacks for athletes, we are providing snacks to athletes this year and need folks to prepare and bring light sandwiches, fruit, water, things like granola bars and cookies, too.

Signed up so far:

5) Parking and transportation June 29th, we have a small parking lot at Squaw Creek and an overflow parking lot at the adjacent shelter reserved. We need folks with a vehicle able to transport and assist guests from the overflow lot to the ticket booth. We will provide signs for your vehicle and you will be needed to help folks understand where to park and to drive them back and forth to their parking space. (Especially any elderly/handicapped guests).

Signed up so far:
10AM-12PM, Roger and MaryAnn C
12pm-2pm
2pm-4pm
4pm-6pm

6) Beer servers, Back Pocket Brewery will be providing alcohol, but regulations do not allow them to serve. We will need persons (of 21 or older) to serve beer.

Signed up so far:
10am-12pm
12pm-2pm
2pm-4pm
4pm-6pm

(I have heard from Jim B, Tammy K, and Tracie W +Sienna willing to help with this, but no assigned time yet)

7) Ticket booth, persons responsible for greeting patrons and selling them their entrance ticket

Signed up so far:
10am-12pm
12pm-2pm
2pm-4pm
4pm-6pm

8) Info booth and T-shirt sales, persons responsible for assisting with any guest needs and selling festival t-shirts

Signed up so far:
10am-12pm
12pm-2pm
2pm-4pm
4pm-6pm

9) Children’s area, persons responsible for assisting with planned childrens activities

Signed up so far:
10am-12pm, Heidi H
12pm-2pm, Erin S
2pm-4pm
4pm-6pm

10) Garbage patrol, persons responsible for wandering grounds and maintaining cleanliness

Signed up so far:
10am-12pm, Paula M
12pm-2pm, Paula M
2pm-4pm
4pm-6pm

11) Highland Games liason, persons responsible for collecting waivers from athletes, making sure athletes have snacks available, and acting as a runner between the M.C. (Scott H) and the games to assist with making announcements

Signed up so far:
10am-12pm
12pm-2pm
2pm-4pm
4pm-6pm

Thank you all in advance!!!
Please respond with what you are able to help with!
Susan

Just a reminder…there is no council meeting this week…but there is a spring picnic!  Come and join us for socializing, BYOB and meat to grill, something to share, you may also want to bring your own camp chair.  Saturday at Squaw Creek Park (Meadowlark shelter), at 2pm.  There will be lots of discussion about CelticFest, since we will be able to visit the festival site.  See you soon!

Highland Games Practice Day, Saturday, May 31st, 10AM, at Lower Kingston Stadium

Ever wanted to know more about Highland Games? Ever wanted to give them a try? Now is your chance! Come and learn, come and try…without the pressure of competition. Experienced athletes will be there to help instruct you in this low-pressure event. Who knows? Maybe it will inspire you to become an athlete at the CelticFest and Highland Games the following month!

St. Patricks Day is approaching and we are getting ready for our float. Here are the details on what we will be needing:

If you have volunteered to help decorate and/or ride/walk in the parade, please arrive at the staging area “A” which is on 4th Avenue, between 5th and 6th Sts, at 11am Monday. The parade starts at 1pm, so we will use this time to decorate the float.

Read the description of needs below, and let us know if you are able to bring any props. We will obtain any final needs based on what people already have.

We need 4 people willing to be on the “float” playing golf and looking like they are having fun doing it. We need a total of 5 people walking around and near the float as it makes its way in the parade. We need a Piper to lead the “float”.

Decorations: Since we are going with the golf theme, we need a green skirt to represent grass that goes on the outside of the trailer. The people on the float need huge and easy to see from far away golf clubs for 3 people to hold and swing. A bouncy ball or yoga ball to “hit” between them, and an oversized pennant style flag for the hole marker.

I would like as many St. Andrews Flags and Ireland flags as we can get as well. No Rampant Lions please. (the gold and red lion one).

Anyone that can show up Monday to help decorate will be very welcome!

Everyone on the float or walking in the parade needs to be kilted or otherwise dressed in Scottish attire please.

I am still talking about a banner for each side of the trailer that advertises our event. If that does no thappen we will need to make signs to say what we want to say. If I do not have the banners by the Friday before the Parade we will need to get the signs together quickly.
**Also, there is no parking along the parade route. You will need to find parking in a ramp or at a meter downtown, and walk in to the staging area.**
Thank you!!

HAGGIS will again be participating in Maifest in the Amana Colonies.  We will be a part of the parade and will also be selling haggis at the Taste of the World exhibition.  Plan on stopping by to say hi or, better yet, volunteer to help out!

Mark your calendars for our annual spring picnic, Saturday April 26th at 2pm, at Meadowlark Shelter at Squaw Creek Park.  Bring a dish to share and come check out where we will be hosting this years CelticFest!

This Saturday (Mar 1st) is our monthly ceilidh and we will have special guest, Trea Champagne, who will be calling ceili dances for us, so invite your friends and get ready to dance!  Dublin City Pub, 7pm.

Attention all athletes!  Starting now there is $5 off any registration received before May 31st!  We can’t wait to see you!

Coming up:
Our monthly council meeting will be held Tues, Jan. 21st at 7pm at Dublin City Pub. This is 1 week earlier than usual, allowing final preparations for Burns Dinner.
Also, there will be NO CEILIDH for the month of February. Instead, members are encouraged to attend the County Johnson Irish Hooley at the Eagles Lodge in Iowa City Feb. 1st.