About us
The National Folk Festival is coming to Jackson in 2025, continuing a 90-year tradition of celebrating the roots, richness, and variety of American culture through music, dance, traditional craft, and food. The National Folk Festival will feature more than 30 performing groups on five to seven stages with continuous music and dance performances, as well as children's activities, a folk arts marketplace, regional and culturally diverse foods, and more. The FREE, three-day, outdoor festival is expected to draw visitors from across the nation. Jackson, Mississippi was selected through a national competitive process to be the 2025–2027 National Folk Festival Host City.
About the Role
The National Folk Festival seeks a Festival Coordinator for the 82nd National Folk Festival in Jackson, Mississippi. This position runs from late June through late November 2025. The time commitment ranges from 30-40 hours per week during the planning phase to a continual onsite presence during the festival itself (November 7-9, 2025). This is a contract position. The contractor is required to be available during the working hours of 9:00am – 5:00pm five days a week, and at other times as needed, with reasonable notice, and with long days and nights required during the lead up to the festival. Compensation will be $20,000 – $25,000, depending on experience. This position is offered as a 1099 contract through the Community Foundation for Mississippi, the festival’s fiscal sponsor.
The Festival Coordinator will assist and work alongside the Festival Manager to ensure the success and continued viability of the National Folk Festival in Jackson under the supervision of the festival partners, which includes the festival’s longtime producer, the National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA), as well as the Festival Executive Committee and the City of Jackson.
The successful candidate will have prior experience with events, strong organizational skills, and the ability to communicate and work effectively as part of a team. Successful candidates must demonstrate thorough attention to detail and willingness to take direction as well as the ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities simultaneously. Good computer skills are essential. Candidates must be proficient in Google Workspace (Docs, Sheets, Calendar, Forms). Familiarity with Canva, email marketing tools (e.g., Mailchimp, Constant Contact), and social media scheduling tools (Meta Business Suite) is a plus. Ability to manage shared drives, organize digital files, and support digital survey collection is preferred.
Requirements
Collaborate with the producing team to implement planning for the Festival, including budgeting, scheduling, logistics, and vendor management.
Maintain event timelines, task lists, and production schedules to ensure all deadlines are met.
Support and assist Festival Manager during the entirety of festival planning and execution.
Cultivate and maintain strong relationships with vendors, sponsors, and partners to secure their participation and support for the festival.
Coordinate with vendors, suppliers, and contractors to secure necessary services, equipment, and materials for the event (including but not limited to beverage sales, merchandise sales, marketplace vendors, food vendors and other guest services).
Work alongside and assist the Festival Manager in the coordination of resources for various festival committees, contractors, and area coordinators (e.g. food vendor, marketplace, volunteer, and merchandise).
Support and facilitate communication of festival logistical and technical information requirements to appropriate festival staff.
Work alongside or assist Festival Manager to ensure accessibility throughout the festival site and stages.
Assist in the coordination of the volunteer system (Volgistics) including promotion, recruitment, communication, and management.
Assist in the coordination of festival volunteers and staff to ensure smooth operations during the festival, providing guidance and support as needed.
Assist in developing marketing and promotional materials for the festival, including print collateral, digital content, and social media campaigns.
Assist Festival Manager in processing invoices and other payments.
Conduct post-event evaluations to assess the success of the festival, gathering feedback from attendees, vendors, sponsors, and stakeholders.
Proficiency in Google Workspace, project management software, and basic graphic tools.
Answer inquiries from festival partners, vendors, participants, and the general public by phone and email.
Other project coordination duties as assigned by the local festival manager.
Interested candidates should send a cover letter, resume and references to: info@nationalfolkfestival.com by June 18, 2025.