I've been trying to interest my son, who really enjoys Old Songs Festival and the National Storytelling Festival, in Merlefest. I'll add that I'd taken the family to the Philly festival about 20 years ago and it was like camping in the middle of a frat house - rowdy though happy, and waaaay too much booze. His impression is that all bluegrass festivals are like that - sorta like Ozzfest with banjos. I don't get that impression, but I do see that Merlefest is huge.

So, what has the crowd been like at previous Merlefests? The sheer number of stages and size of the crowds looks exhausting, but was there a variety of music? Did the logistics of the festival work? Was the crowd young, old, mixed? We'd be staying just over the border in Tenn. Would parking be available every day?