In all fairness it's not just Festivals that are putting up prices, I find myself getting squeezed pretty well across the board.

I also agree with Ana's post. For me a festival is work. I do not expect to get to any of the concerts, if I catch one (or part of one)at the end of the day it's a bonus. For me it's a numbers game. Are there enough people for me to make a living from? Will I do better there (I hope) than if I go to my usual market (for which I still have to pay even if I don't stand that week, another squeeze).

The "we already have a trader selling that" angle is one I'm in favour of. A well balanced and mixed craft tent should work for everyone, traders, festival goers and organisers. Once you get (for the sake of argument) 10 jewellry stalls and a similar number of identical clothing stalls then two things happen, the mix has gone and the traders are fighting over a smaller share of the cake. Very few festivals (or general craft fairs) have enough footfall to sustain a lot of duplication, doesn't matter if it's a hobby and you're really there for the music, does matter if it's your living.

The issue of kids is one I see from another perspective. I have a wooden toy stall. The number of times parents will leave their kids with the words "stay here while we look round" is unbelievable and annoying. A stall full of kids playing stops serious punters approaching apart from the damage that gets done.

All the best

Steve