Volunteers Debbie Sandt and Joanne Edwards

Volunteers Carol Murphy and Monilee Conrad

Volunteer Maria Fruin

Red Butte Garden Outdoor Concert Series Volunteers have a new sponsor! Intermountain Healthcare

The most anticipated night of your summer has arrived! Your favorite artist is playing at Red Butte Garden in what is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful venues around. You retrieved your concert tickets from two blonde women at the Will-Call Booth, one with an unmistakable Southern accent, but both of whom helped you figure out where the line forms, and how to leave a ticket for your friend. You joined the crowd and immediately recognized the vibe that can only be described as unparalleled excitement and a sense that there is nowhere else these 3,000 people would rather be. You patiently, yet eagerly awaited the moment when the gate opened. You were greeted warmly by a lady with bicycle earrings who genuinely said, "Enjoy the show!" as she scanned your ticket. You sensed that the ticket-takers were just as happy you were here as you were. Once you settled into the perfect spot for the night, you made your way to the recycling station and asked the amiable redhead in a Red Butte Garden Volunteer t-shirt where to purchase merchandise. She pointed you in the right direction, and, on your way to the merchandise tent, you wondered how someone standing behind a trash can could still be so sincerely friendly. You noticed more folks in volunteer t-shirts on the lawn helping other concert-goers and dancing to the opening act. With the foothills a backdrop to another beautiful sunset you thought to yourself, "Let an unforgettable night begin!"

From a hearty team of 400 volunteers, nearly 70 hold a highly-coveted spot on our Red Butte Garden Outdoor Concert Series crew. These folks are not just passionate about music, they also have a deep affection for Red Butte Garden and our community. They planted the daffodils you saw during your spring morning stroll through the Garden, they led a Third grade class on a hike through our Natural Area, they told you the name of that one plant you can never remember, but, most of all, they earned their place on this crew through years of dedication and countless hours at the Garden. In fact, most concert volunteers have been a part of this team for well over 10 years. Just last December, we celebrated one volunteer who has been with Red Butte Garden for 20 years. They can regale you with stories of shows before the luxuries you recognize today like ticket scanners, real restrooms, or even our current stage, to name a few. Abuzz with an infectious energy, around 35 volunteers report for every concert, most usually arriving for a 5-hour shift after putting in their own 8+ hour work day.

Red Butte Garden volunteers report as early as two hours before gates open to ensure the venue is ready for your evening. Whether our concert volunteers are assisting at the Will Call booth, scanning tickets, manning recycling stations, or cleaning up after the show, their positive attitudes, expert dancing skills, and general knowledge of the venue hopefully puts a smile on your face, show after show, year after year. Cumulatively, they see around 90,000 concert-goers a season, and contribute nearly 3,500 hours of their time to your summer nights. 

This year we're excited to announce that Intermountain Healthcare will bring a smile to their faces by providing much-needed support for our concert volunteers! True to their mission of “helping people live the healthiest lives possible,” Intermountain Healthcare will be helping us improve the experiences of not only our volunteers, but all concert goers. Their contribution will help create a shade structure for ticket takers at the gate, provide healthy food and drinks for the volunteer crew, and support the overall efforts of our volunteers to provide a safe, clean, healthy and happy environment for our concert guests.

This summer, when you see one of these amazing volunteers, donned in their new blue Intermountain Healthcare concert volunteer t-shirts, we hope you say “hi,” and thank them for their tremendous dedication, energy, and time in making Red Butte Garden’s Outdoor Concert Series the outstanding experience we all know and love. They work harder than you might think to ensure that you can watch the moon rise over the foothills of this beautiful city to the tunes of world-renowned artists. They are also just as excited to create a great experience for you as you are to be at a Red Butte Garden concert. Let an unforgettable summer begin!

Many, many thanks to Intermountain Healthcare for their generous support. We appreciate you and look forward to our continued concert volunteer sponsorship through the 2018 Red Butte Garden Outdoor Concert Series!