Come volunteer at WE Fest, our fifth annual family-friendly art fair and music festival that honors Nashville’s trailblazing limestone sculptor, William Edmondson, at the site where he lived and created his masterpieces. Join our mission-driven non-profit, to help us provide a day of free community fun for the city!
- WHAT: William Edmondson Arts & Culture Fest (WE Fest)
- WHEN: Saturday, October 24, 2026
- WHERE: 1450 14th Ave. S., in the heart of Nashville, Tennessee’s historic Edgehill neighborhood, on the former Murrell Elementary School grounds (right down the street from Belmont!)
- WHO: Organized by Friends of the William Edmondson Homesite Park & Gardens, a grassroots community nonprofit
This outdoor event celebrates Nashville’s diverse community of visual and performing artists and shares the Edgehill neighborhood’s rich African American history & culture with the city and beyond.
WE Fest is the nation’s only event that celebrates Edmondson, the first Black artist to get a solo exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City in 1937. Hailed as the foremost self-taught sculptor of the 20th Century, Edmondson is one of Tennessee’s most important historical artists.
Volunteers are needed for pre-event set up, various tasks during the event, and post-event clean up and breakdown. Please see below for more information.
EVENT FEATURES:
- - Art fair, with dozens of artists displaying and selling their original artwork
- - Live music, dance and spoken word, including Metro Schools students
- - Kids area with hands-on art activities and demos, plus inflatables
- - Food and drink from local food trucks and caterers
SHIFTS AND NEEDS:
- Friday, October 23rd 9am-1pm - pre-event set up to outline booth and stage areas
- Saturday, October 24th - event day!
- 6:30AM-9:45 AM - Help setup signs, banners, displays, chairs & tables, check in and assist artists and vendors
- 9:30AM-12:45PM - Help with kids activities, vendor hospitality, info booth, etc
- 12:30PM-3:45PM - Help with kids activity, vendor hospitality, info booth, etc
- 3:30PM-5:45PM - Help with event breakdown, trash pickup, etc.
IMPORTANT NOTES:
- Shifts overlap to aid with handoff of duties. Please be prompt!
- The festival site is labeled in Google and Apple Maps as the "William Edmondson Homesite Park & Gardens", just a few blocks away from Belmont's campus in Edgehill. This is not to be confused with "William Edmondson Park", which is a separate park on Charlotte Avenue in West Nashville.
- After responding to our need, our volunteer coordinator will contact you with further information for your volunteer shift. Please look for an email from Mari Clare Derrick (email address: mariclare@thestore.org).
If you'd like more information about WE Fest, please contact Mark Schlicher at edmondsonfest@gmail.com.
