Eat!

Non-profits Give Festival a Unique Flavor

Non-profit community is the heart of the Festival

Many of you may look forward to the annual Fremont Festival of the Arts as a ‘rite of summer’ event where you shop ‘til you drop, enjoy good food while groovin’ to the sounds of some great bands, or bring the kids for a day of fun rides and activities. But did you know that every time you indulge in an ice cream, frozen lemonade, refreshing drink, linguica, or any of the other tempting food booth items, you are supporting a local non-profit?

From the very early days of the Fremont Festival of the Arts, Fremont community non-profit organizations have played an important role in the Festival’s success. From running all the Festival food booths, to helping with set-up and clean-up, to partnering with some of our Festival sponsors, participation by non-profits has been at the very heart of what makes the Festival an exceptional event.

Many of the non-profit organizations that operate food booths name the Fremont Festival of the Arts as their single largest fundraiser of the year. Only non-profit organizations are allowed to sell food at the event. It is estimated that over the 25 years of the festival, these non-profit organizations have raised over $8,000,000. The non-profits return that money to the community through a variety of significant services, creating improved quality of life for area residents.

In addition to food booths, various non-profits take on other volunteer responsibilities at the Festival. For example, since 2000, Boy Scout Troop 273 from the Mission Peak District has been an important part of the festival operations, providing clean-up and recycling services throughout the weekend. In return, festival organizers make a donation that helps the boys pay for summer camp. “In addition to the income, the boys benefit from this service project by learning organizational and leadership skills and practicing teamwork,” said Steve Berger, Troop 273 Leader. How true that is!

The Kiwanis Club of Fremont has had a food booth at the Festival since the beginning, starting with garlic bread and then moving on to pizza. The Club members together with high school Key Clubbers have a wonderful time working as a team to organize and run the booth.

The point is that the Fremont Festival of the Arts is not just an opportunity to enjoy the largest free street festival on the West Coast. For local non-profits, it is an opportunity to raise funds to continue their work and to publicize their activities. So, as the Chamber’s 2008 Chairman of the Board George Duarte says, “Be sure to bring your appetite! In doing so, you are supporting our local non-profit and community service organizations.”