Dragon Days™ Fantasy Festival

Festival Volunteers

Updated 8/21/2024

Apply to be a Volunteer: HERE

We need help for Dragon Days™ Fantasy Festival, September 27th, 28th, 29th, and 30th in Lake Geneva Wisconsin!

Hail Fellow Adventurer!

Each year we lucky handful of friends, gaming fans, and our families band together as volun.. ‘er… adventurers (!) to accomplish what seems like an impossible task—to make Dragon Days™ Fantasy Festival a once in a lifetime experience for all who attend. But to accomplish this we need HELP!

Or in other words:

“Volunteers wanted for hazardous journey. Low wages, bitter cold, long hours of complete darkness. Safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in event of success… and if we have any money left, maybe a pizza party.”

Sounds like fun, right! If you dare, read onward!

We need volunteers for a variety of activities, from running the admissions table, to hefting straw bales to build our Dragon Days™ Dungeon Maze, to placing event signs around town, and more. Volunteers signing up for at least one, 3 hour block of time will be given a FREE two-day Festival Pass to all Dragon Days™ event sites!

To Volunteer, will will need to know who you are, how we can contact you, what times you would be available, and a general sense of what abilities you have, where abilities are grouped into Light (Festival operation: directing attendees, handing out passes, and the like), Moderate (Carrying items of some weight, setting up pop-up tents, and the like), and Heavy (setting up canvas tents, carrying and stacking straw bales, possibly wet ones!).

Please fill out the form HERE (choose whatever fits your ability and availability!) and help us to make Dragon Days™ Fantasy Festival a once in a lifetime experience!

Key dates and times are as follows:

  • September 27-30, 2024 (Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday)

    • Friday, 8 am to 5 pm: Festival set-up

    • Friday, 5 pm to 6 pm: Opening Ceremony—we would love to see you all present for the ceremony!

    • Friday, 6 pm to 9 pm: Festival set-up

    • Saturday, 7 am to 10 am: Festival set-up

    • Saturday, 10 am to 5 pm: Festival open to public

    • Saturday, 5 pm to 7 pm: Festival close-up

    • Sunday, 9 am to 10 am: Festival set-up

    • Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm: Festival open to public

    • Sunday, 5 pm to 9 pm: Break down, pack-up, and clean-up

    • Monday, 6 am to noon: Break down, pack-up, and clean-up

About Lake Geneva and the Festival Site:

In southeastern Wisconsin lies the scenic city of Lake Geneva, named after the famous body of water in Switzerland. The stunningly picturesque lake attracted the interest of wealthy families in Chicago, who built summer houses (read: mansions) along the shores, and the area became the Hamptons of the Midwest.

Today, Lake Geneva is still a well-to-do tourist destination, noted for its fine dining, antiques, and art shops—all within easy walking distance wrapping around one end of the lake.

Weather:

Ah yes! That would be Wisconsin weather! Well, it could be warm, sunny, and spectacular. Or it could be cold, wet, and miserable. Or there’s a remote chance it could even be snowing! This is your opportunity to bring the long underwear and that fabulous wool cape to wear!

This festival is happening rain or shine! The Fantasy Faire in the park is our outdoor venue but the merchants will be under tents and the performers will have a partial roof over the stage. In years past we spread out straw to alleviate the mud and still had plenty of attendees despite heavy and constant rainfall. All other venues are indoors and other than a short walk, attendees will be warm and cozy at one of our many event sites around the city.

If the weather turns too bad, festival management will let you know it’s okay to call it a day. If you bow out on your own, well, we want you to be safe. Give management the courtesy of telling them you’re going to take off for the remainder of your time.

Lodging:

Lodging options are as follows:

Hotels:

There are numerous hotels outside the Lake Geneva area (15-20 minutes away) that are on the less expensive side, for in-town hotels you are looking at much higher rates.

Camping in Tents and RV:

Camping at Bigfoot State Park is a good bet. It’s a 2-mile drive to the festival site, or a 1.5-mile hike along the lake trail. Bigfoot State Park offers sites for tents and RVs. It has clean, newly remodeled restroom facilities as well as showers. Grills are available for use, and campfires and pets are allowed. You are required to buy a park sticker for your vehicle. If you stay three nights (arriving Friday to set up and leaving Monday), you’re looking at about $80. Check out campsite reservations HERE.

There are also two parks within 40 minutes that have tent and RV sites as well:

  • Richard Bong State Recreation Area, 26313 Burlington Rd., Kansasville, Wisconsin, 53139 (Approximately 30 Minutes East of Lake Geneva). Check out campsite reservations HERE.

  • Kettle Moraine State Forest Southern Unit Headquarters, S91W39091 WI-59, Eagle, WI 53119 (Approx. 40 Minutes North of Lake Geneva). Check out campsite reservations HERE.

And Finally . . .

We look forward to working with you in making the Dragon Days™ Fantasy Festival an epic event for the ages!

Apply to be a Volunteer: HERE

Contact Information:

Any questions may be directed to our Volunteer Director: Kevin Maurice at volunteer.director@dragondays.org

Should you not get a response or have other questions and inquiries you may direct your emails to:

Festival Chairman: Harold “Wisconsin” Johnson: chairman@dragondays.org

Festival Co-Chairman: Paul Stormberg: co.chairman@dragondays.org

Festival Sponsor: Gygax Memorial Fund, Inc.: Board President: Paul Stormberg, gygaxmemorialfundinc@gmail.com