CUMBERLAND – CumberlandFest 2022 will look to build on the success and fun of last year’s event, organizers say, while receiving some tweaks intended in part to help it stay true to its core mission of supporting local youth groups.
Members of the Cumberland Youth Activities Council say they are pleased to announce that CumberlandFest 2022 will be held over the weekend of August 5-7 at Diamond Hill Park. Considered the city’s biggest summer party for more than three decades, the event attracts more than 15,000 visitors a year.
Organizers promise that this year’s event will provide all the attractions visitors expect. In addition to the giant midway thrilling carnival rides, customers will enjoy an expanded array of food trucks offering ethnic foods, pastries and specialties, an arts and crafts village in which artisans locals display their wares and the largest fireworks display in Northern Rhode Island. summer on Saturday evening.
“We will also have some surprises,” said Jerry Schimmel, general manager of the CumberlandFest steering committee. “We have a terrific line-up of artists who will perform in our beer and wine tent and acts that have particular appeal to young people on the children’s stage. All in all, we’re very excited to see how things pan out to make this one of the best CumberlandFest events to date.
Over its 30-year history, CumberlandFest has raised over $1 million to support youth activities in Cumberland.
“As most of our publicity efforts are to promote the event itself, many of our customers may not be aware that CumberlandFest was first established as a fundraising vehicle for Cumberland. Youth Activities Council,” said Alan Neville, Chairman of the Board of CYAC and Chairman of Marketing for CumberlandFest. “This year, Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Friend level sponsorships are available, and we hope that loyal past sponsors, as well as new backers, will come forward to support us.”
Neville said The breeze that they were delighted with the weather and attendance last year, saying the attractions all ran well. They plan to repeat all of these features, he said, and are considering new ones as well.
The hope is that Rockwell Amusements will add new rides to the Midway, knowing how popular they are with young people, he said. Last year’s decision to hold entertainment in the beer and wine tent also proved to be a good one, he said, and will be repeated. They also plan to bring back the children’s scene and professional wrestling. An expensive event to hold, Neville said, CumberlandFest will also have to bring back its entry fees this year, although the exact amount will be decided in the future after costs such as fireworks, which the town has funded. last year, have become clearer.
Organizers remind the community that the success of CumberlandFest depends on the contributions of dozens of area businesses and the time and talent of hundreds of volunteers. In addition to the commitment and commitment of a critical group of steering committee volunteers, a large group of assistants are needed to do everything from overseeing the front door to managing the bookkeeping of event, including assisting guests with parking spaces, organizing event infrastructure support, and guiding visitors to event attractions and services.
“CumberlandFest has been an entirely volunteer-run operation since its inception in 1991,” said CumberlandFest Community President Mike Crawley. “And those who donated their time, energy and talents are to be commended for their dedication.”
Organizers say it will take nearly 1,000 hours of volunteer effort to make the event a success, and staff are still needed to cover vital functions.
CumberlandFest attracts volunteers from youth organizations who benefit from the financial proceeds of the event and the community at large. Youth organizations interested in volunteering, or people willing to donate a few hours of their time to help with event tasks such as set-up, event logistics and tear-down can apply to www.cumberlandfest.org or by calling Crawley at 401-651-4404 or emailing him at [email protected]
Youth organizations will earn $20 in contribution for each hour volunteered by one of their groups during the event. Neville said it’s always a balance between creating an amazing event and generating revenue for youth groups. CumberlandFest has never had a paid employee, he noted.
The goal is to get enough volunteers so that no one except central committee members has to work more than four to six hours over the weekend, Neville said. Every nonprofit struggles to find volunteers, he said, but Cumberland High School’s new athletic director, Marty Crowley, has been very helpful in working with Crawley to get the teams involved. young people in the effort. There are also a few scouting organizations involved, he said, but the need is still there to attract more adult volunteers from the wider Cumberland community.
Over the past two years’ events, youth groups have been guaranteed $10 for every volunteer hour contributed, and then a second wave of grants has been awarded at the discretion of the organizers. This year’s event will earn $20 per volunteer hour, he said, “and that’s it.” Hopefully this will inspire more volunteerism among the youth groups that benefit, he said. If CumberlandFest generates enough money, he said, maybe they can find other ways to support the groups.
