SPOKANE — With Bloomsday complete, Spokane organizers are focusing on the next major citywide event: Hoopfest 2026.
The world’s largest three-on-three basketball tournament draws more than 200,000 people to Spokane each year, but it requires nearly 2,500 volunteers to run smoothly.
“The volunteers are the heartbeat of this event,” said Chad Smith, Hoopfest director of volunteering and staffing. “We could not put this event on without our thousands of volunteers. We are a small office. There are only eight of us.”
Volunteer work begins nearly a year before each event, according to Riley Stockton, Hoopfest executive director.
“Our staff is hard at work on this pretty much right after the last one,” Stockton said. “We spend a lot of July, August, September, before our youth leagues start, ironing out what we want to happen.”
The festival offers volunteer positions for different comfort levels, from behind-the-scenes roles at merchandise tents and scoreboards to court monitors who interact directly with players and spectators.
“Master scoreboard, merchandise tent, stuff like that — that’s good for people that don’t want to be right front and center,” Smith said. “Whereas our court monitors, our runners, people like that, they’re gonna be on their feet. They’re going to be interacting with people.”
Hoopfest festivities begin June 24 with the Hall of Fame induction ceremony. Those interested in volunteering can find more information through the Hoopfest organization’s official channels.
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