As the month of June draws ever closer, the Elizabethton/Carter County Chamber of Commerce is looking for volunteers to assist them with this year’s Covered Bridge Days celebration.

Each year, the Chamber hosts the festival which features arts, crafts, entertainment, and fun for the entire family.

This year, Covered Bridge Days will take place on Thursday, June 8, through Saturday, June 10. In recent years the festival expanded to span across four days, but this year the Chamber decided to scale the event back down to three days.

The Chamber of Commerce has a small staff so they rely heavily on volunteers to help stage and host the festival.

“We’re always looking for volunteers,” said Chamber Director Tonya Stevens. “We have a variety of opportunities for people who want to be involved.”

Volunteer opportunities include entertainment, helping to work the information tent, set up, and many other tasks. Stevens said volunteer opportunities are available for any level of ability.

“We also encourage businesses to volunteer with us and wear their business or organization’s shirt,” Stevens said, adding volunteering gives local businesses and organizations the chance to get their name out in the community.

Volunteering at the festival can also help local students working to meet their Tennessee Promise scholarship requirements.

“It can be considered community service hours for students,” Stevens said. “We prefer they be 16 or older. They would have to have parental permission and sign a liability waiver.”

Those volunteering with the event can set their own level of participation by deciding how and when they can help out.

“It can be as little as one hour or as much as a day,” Stevens said.

The festival typically runs from 5 p.m. until 9 p.m. on Thursday evening and then from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

The final night of the event always features a special musical performance and celebration.

For more information on volunteer opportunities with the Covered Bridge Festival, contact Tonya Stevens or Elizabeth White at the Chamber of Commerce by calling 423-547-3850.