"I just spent a weekend with over 700 artists who are perpetuating this music and the community that it appeals to."

These 700 artists are probably not folk singers. People who play acoustio music, perhaps They are probably all singer songwriters I would think. This does not make them folk singers nor what they sing folk music. You would be hard pressed to find any one of them who can command a performace for an audience of 700 interested people at one time I am sure. Or one song that the average person on the street knows.

This is what folk music has evolved to. I can understand your special interest and also your denial. It's not a question of not hanging around the right places. It's really a question of what you vs. I want to label this music as.

The folk music that was once enjoyed by a generation has for the most part lost it's way for the next. It does not "belong" to a generation today like it once did.