Yes, the demise of the instrument-makers' showroom is another example of Folklife going the wrong way. We did get a few more rooms for workshops - that was good - but I missed the opportunity to see new instruments, talk to the makers and try out some instruments. Isn't that an integral part of a folk music festival?
The instrument makers were told they could set up outdoor booths. A few did, but most didn't want to expose their instruments to the elements. And the outdoor noise would make it hard to demonstrate and try out new instruments, and there was little security to lock up booths with expensive instruments overnight.