With the new year come and gone, it is already time to start making plans for spring and summer. No event in McCauley could be more popular than the Heart of the City Festival, which takes place the first weekend of June on Saturday the 2nd and Sunday the 3rd. There will be over 100 musical and spoken word performers, a youth stage, tea garden, and arts tent with artisan vendors and art workshops. It promises to be the most memorable weekend of the year.

I spoke with the president of The Heart of the City Festival, Charity Slobod, who has been involved with the festival for four years. She started out volunteering because her brother and other friends were involved, and soon took on a key role in making the event possible.

“Our event is all about being free fun for families and friends alike.” Charity stated. “We will end up needing 80 to 100 volunteers, doing everything from tent setup to security, with an emphasis on needing people who can volunteer ahead of the time of the festival. This would be great for people who want to get involved and still enjoy the event that weekend.”

There are a number of perks of being a volunteer. There is food provided, a unique volunteer t-shirt, and the opportunity not only to be a part of the McCauley community, but to meet new friends. Oddly enough, Charity’s brother who has been a part of the festival for years, met his wife volunteering for Heart of the City (really putting “heart” into volunteering). As an added bonus, all volunteers are invited to a volunteer appreciation party with food, gifts, and entertainment.

Contact Charity Slobod or her co-organizer Mike Siek to learn about booking your band, becoming a volunteer, or performing on the youth or spoken word stage by emailing heartcitymusic@gmail.com or heartcityfest@gmail.com. There will be a number of meetings between now and the day of the festival, the next two being Sunday February 11, from 3:00-4:00 p.m., and Thursday, March 1 from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., both at the Parkdale Community Hall on 11335 85 Street. The meetings are open to all those wanting to get involved!