BOUNTIFUL — Performers from all across the country are about to make their way to Davis County, and more open arms are needed to welcome them.

About 40 more volunteer host families are needed to help house the dancers and musicians who will be coming into town for the upcoming Bountiful/Davis Summerfest International event. The performers will be coming into town Aug. 1, and will need locals to help offer a touch of home to people who have traveled so far away from their own.

“Summerfest has become really popular worldwide because of the host families,” said BDAC Education Program Coordinator Trixee Buckingham, adding that the dancers and musicians all pay their own way to Utah. “They get the full American experience without having to fend for themselves in a hotel.”

Performers are placed in pairs with each host family, who are responsible for providing them with a comfortable place to sleep, three meals a day, and transportation to and from Summerfest performances. In all three cases, however, a steady presence is more important than spending a lot of money.

“Don’t feel like you have to treat them to expensive dinners or anything,” said Buckingham. “A sack lunch and a good air mattress are just fine.”

Though some host families know the language of the performers they’ll be housing for the week, it isn’t a requirement.

“What I always tell my families who are a little nervous is that they just need to play charades,” said Buckingham, adding that some of the performers do know English. “It always works out really well.”

Anyone interested in becoming a host family should call the Bountiful/ Davis Art Center at 801-292-0367 as soon as possible.

“It’s nice to be able to foster a relationship with someone from another country,” said Buckingham, talking about host families who have gone on to travel to their former guest’s country and be greeted with open arms. “It has quite a chain effect.”