Get Involved!
Car Free Vancouver is proud to invite you to be part of one of the most vibrant festivals during summer! Volunteers are the core of the Car Free Days! We are grateful for all the folks that helped us since 2008! We are ready for the 2023 editions, which will happen at Commercial Drive, Main Street and West End.The three days of the festival take place at the unceded traditional territories of the Coast Salish peoples – sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), sel̓íl̓witulh (Tsleil-Waututh) nations, and the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nation.
On this page:
The Festival | Volunteer Roles | Applications | Learn More
The Festival
The Car Free Days is a multi-site annual festival that celebrates the art and culture in our communities while intending to bring awareness about the car-free mindset. At Car Free Vancouver Society, we believe communities should be designed for people, not cars. This change must be collective, and the Car Free Days are the place to be in contact with not only neighbors but also numerous artists, residents, performers, artisans, non-profits, and businesses to interact, engage, and re-imagine spaces usually reserved for vehicle traffic.
Car Free Days Facts
- 3 major Car Free Day street festival sites over 60 blocks of the festival site
- ~500,000 total attendees
- 60% local, 40% regional attendees
- 40% of attendees age 30 or under
- Georgia Straight's Best Local Street / Community Festival 8 years
- Vancouver Courier Stars of Vancouver Best Street Festival 4 years
- Vancouver Courier Stars of Vancouver Best Street Festival 4 years
Volunteer Roles
- Zone Lead - Responsible for coordinating volunteer activities, ensuring the safety and well-being of participants, engaging with attendees, and collaborating with festival organizers to create a positive and well-organized event.
- Info Booth - The central point of information providing guidance, distributing materials, assisting with lost and found items, and creating a welcoming and organized environment for attendees to have a positive festival experience.
- Barricade Attendee - Responsible for monitoring and controlling access points, assisting attendees with navigation, and enforcing safety guidelines. Your role is crucial in creating a secure and enjoyable participant environment while maintaining order and preventing overcrowding.
- Family Zone - Assist with the setup and maintenance of activity stations, facilitating games and crafts, supervising play areas, and ensuring the safety and well-being of participants. Promote community engagement and create accessible spaces for all attendees.
- Green Team - Essential in promoting and implementing sustainable practices and waste management initiatives. As a Green Team volunteer, you will contribute to the festival's environmental mission by actively participating in the Zero Waste Events program and collaborating with crucial sustainability partner Vancity. Your responsibilities include educating festival food booth volunteers about recycling and composting, ensuring food is served with compostable utensils and dishes, and manning recycling and compost stations to divert waste from landfills.
Applications
We are open to all applications; the work of volunteers is essential for the festival's existence.
The volunteers are the ones behind each operation and also the ones responsible for being the face of our event.
If you are interested in urban mobility and sustainability, meeting new people and growing your skills while you connect to the community, Car Free is the right match for you.
You don't need experience, but any event planning or volunteering knowledge is welcome and appreciated.
Join a team that believes in a greener city with better use of public spaces and stronger communities; let's start this movement together this September!