Headed to Riverfest? How about you volunteer too?

Here’s the situation: Saturday’s Downtown Riverfest could be the biggest ever.

And without more volunteers, you could be in for a really long wait to get a beverage.

“I’m really hoping it doesn’t get to that point,” said Sadie Swier, community outreach coordinator for Downtown Sioux Falls Inc.

“I’m hoping for last-minute ones.”

She needs at least 15 people, though 20 would be better.

It has been an ongoing challenge this year, especially for downtown events to secure enough volunteers, Swier said.

“Some shifts fill up, but we’re all at DTSF calling our family members. I’ve had to recruit my parents to make sure we’re doing OK,” she said. “We really hope volunteers keep showing up. I don’t think COVID has really affected it too much — but it’s definitely been a challenge, although it is every year.”

Some regulars have said they’re too busy this year or have been traveling, she added.

“But we’ve added some new people, and we’ve had quite a few younger people come and volunteer too, and that’s fantastic to see.”

What you need to know

To become a volunteer, start by clicking here.

Then navigate down to “Riverfest” and pick a shift.

You can help set up, tear down or — where they especially need people — serve beverages.

“It’s really fun. It’s fast-paced, and we encourage people who are 21 and older to do it,” Swier said. “There is water and pop, and people can check IDs, but it’s mostly with adult beverages where we need help.”

That’s especially true for the second shift, which is 7:30 to 11 p.m.

If you help

Once you sign up online — which you can do until the morning of Riverfest — you’ll get an email with instructions for when and where to go.

If you volunteer, you’ll become the owner of a Riverfest T-shirt and get a free beverage at the end of your shift.

Plus, you’ll be doing your part to help downtown serve its visitors.

“We’re hoping for the biggest Riverfest yet,” Swier said. “Which means we definitely need volunteers to make sure their 20,000 people get their beverages.”