well...as usual, lamarca has said so much so well. It IS true that the Getaway would be hard to finance at the same level without the Mudcat influx...I have said this privately for about 3 years now. All those other issues are also 'real', but the basic friendliness that arises from folks who meet to make music for 3 days has kept much of the awkwardness from getting too serious.

I have wondered myself if there is anyway the FSGW/Mudcat fusion could be formalized in order to make the whole situation smoother and clearer for everyone! We have a 35+ year old tradition here in the DC area, and it has allowed us, as a large folk society, to accommodate a lot of variety.

Maybe lamarca's thoughts will be the start of a discussion on how to keep 'folk' gatherings viable and fun for years to come.

Thanks, Mary....