Teresa Grimmer, of Niles, is a volunteers with the Niles Bluegrass Festival. She has also volunteered at a number of places over the years.

How did you get involved with the Niles Bluegrass Festival?

Another volunteer with the festival asked me if I would sign up to volunteer, so I did it last year. It just snowballed from there.

What do you do with the festival?

I’m the volunteer coordinator. I get volunteers to cover the merchandise tent, the guest services, the kids’ zone and arrange them where they need to be. There are little bits of other stuff, too.

What makes you want to volunteer your time?

Just the smiles of people’s faces and knowing I had a part in it. Especially [the Bluegrass Festival], with the little kids running around, saying “Mommy, I want an elephant ear,” or something like that, is really fun and warms my heart.

Why do you think volunteering is important?

Volunteering glues a community together. You meet new people. You get new experiences.

How would you encourage others to volunteer with the Niles Bluegrass Festival?

Come out. We respect our volunteers. We take pride in them, and they would also be able to smile and take pride in it and say, “I had a part in this.” Come have fun with us.