CEDARBURG, Wis. — A group of teenage volunteers is at the center of Cedarburg's annual Strawberry Festival, taking on hands-on roles that organizers say are essential to making the event on Washington Avenue possible.
The high school and middle school students comprise a vital part of a much larger group of Festivals of Cedarburg volunteers that make the festival happen every year.
Rising senior Adeline Brogelman is among those volunteers — and this year, she has been tapped as the first teen to serve as park manager, a role that includes making all stage announcements during the festival.
"I really just like helping my community. I think it's a really important thing," Brogelman said.
Brogelman estimates she has already invested more than 150 hours in preparation, a number that includes time from an internship the previous summer.
Days before the strawberries even arrive, she and her peers are testing equipment, grabbing walkie-talkies, and helping ready the grounds — work quite different than a typical summer job.
For many Cedarburg teens, volunteering at Strawberry Fest has become a rite of passage, in part because their parents volunteered before them. Sarah Enwald, executive director of Festivals of Cedarburg, is one of those parents.
"My son got involved when he was a middle schooler," Enwald said. "We physically don't have the capability of doing everything, and so we have to have volunteers. Our students are participating in the things that benefit them."
The student volunteer pipeline also connects to a broader community investment. Teri Schwab, president of the Cedarburg Community Scholarship Fund, is a vendor at the festival and leads the organization that rewards graduating volunteers with scholarships.
"For us, they are an integral part of our whole fundraising event," Schwab said. "Giving them that opportunity really allows us to look at the kids who really do give back to the community. And that's what CCSF is about."
Cedarburg's Strawberry Festival takes place this weekend on Washington Avenue from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. For more information about the festival and a detailed schedule, click here.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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