Laconia Multicultural Festival seeks new coordinator

LACONIA — Heading into its 23rd year, organizers of Laconia Multicultural Festival are looking for a new coordinator to take the event to the next level in the near future.

Becky Guyer’s been coordinating the festival for the past 15 years, and now it’s time for her to retire, she said. She’ll still be involved in organizing the event, but to a lesser degree, and is working to hire a new coordinator who will oversee the development of the event, hopefully helping it to reach new heights.

Laconia Multicultural Festival is an annual celebration of the many cultures and people of the world. Each year, organizers work tirelessly to research and identify colorful and exquisite foods, entertainers and vendors to bring to downtown Laconia for a family-friendly day of fun.

“I’ve thought a lot about this,” Guyer said Thursday in an interview. “It’s really a fun job.”

The new coordinator will need to be highly organized, friendly, and adept at dealing with vendors, entertainers and all of the many facets that make Laconia Multicultural Festival the widely anticipated event it’s grown to be. 

“It’s a big festival, one of Laconia’s premier festivals,” Guyer said. 

Leonard Campbell, president of Laconia Multicultural Festival, Inc., said the event is unique in that it combines multiple aspects to create something residents and visitors have grown to appreciate over the last two decades. 

“I really love that it's families going,” Campbell said Thursday, noting the festival combines intrigues of the head and the heart. “It breaks down walls when you do that.”

Organizing the festival takes most of a year, with preparations generally underway near the beginning of January, but kicking into “high gear” in July and August, the festival’s “crunch time”. This year’s festival — its 23rd — is set for Saturday, Sept. 6.

And in her past 15 years as coordinator, Guyer has worked out many of the kinks, and developed a general plan and timeline for preparations, turning the festival into a well-oiled machine. The person hired to be the new coordinator would work closely with the various committee members to bring the event to fruition. 

“It’s a good job for a person that’s really excited about what’s going on,” Campbell said. 

Guyer said she hopes injecting some new faces into the mix will allow for creativity and new developments, as well.

“Maybe somebody has a better idea,” she said. 

The job is essentially a part-time position, though preparations are made throughout the year. The role comes with a stipend, not a salary. 

There are eight members on the board and usually at least 20 volunteers, most of whom participate on just the day of the festival. 

“I work on it all year long,” Guyer said, noting the more time spent organizing, the better the results tend to be. 

Campbell said the successful applicant will be a “people person”, calling that intangible the biggest possible asset, and they’re looking urgently for the right person to fill Guyer’s shoes. The candidate selected should rest assured they’ll have access to years of knowledge and experience regarding the festival, as Guyer will still be involved, and members of the board are enthusiastic about collaboration.

“The whole point is to bring some new blood into the festival,” Guyer said. “We have a good group of committee people.”

Reflecting on her years serving as coordinator, Guyer said she’s particularly happy about its pedigree as a family-friendly event where everybody is walking around, smiling and enjoying the day for free.

“Every single aspect of it is fun,” she said. “It’s been my passion for years.”

The right person for the job needs to be comfortable working hands-on, Campbell said, and noted it’s not a regular “9-5 job”.

Anyone interested in applying for this position should send a letter of interest, their background and qualifications and contact information to director@laconiamulticulturalfestival.org.

“It exposes all of us to the different cultures, food, and entertainment,” Guyer said. “You literally can travel around the world in one day — it’s a celebration of all of us."