Surely the captain is right that most "big stage" folk festivals neither draw many artists nor many audience from their locales.

Ely and Broadstairs do have the Morris sides out to the local streets, and Broadtsars and Sidders have music (alas in the case of Broadstairs mostly not folk music) in the local pubs. Likewise Deal is a street festival, largely. But even Tenterden (again, lots of street dance) has most of the concerts in places where the local public will be much in a minority. Miskin did try very hard to keep a local element to booked guests, but alas at present it is not, hope as we may for it to rise like a phoenix from the ashes.

The campus festivals by their very nature charge for site admission, which means that the passing local will not be in attendance, and to suggest that stewards are motly drawn from local folk would I think be abold assertion. Many festivals advertise across the country for stewards, and from across the country they come.