Guest Ralpie, you are correct, there do seem to be a lot of mixed messages going on in this thread. In the case of our local "Folk" festival, the term must be considered in the loosest possible context. Because those who have been charged with the organization of this event have tried their best to feature everything and anything and much of it can hardly be classified as Folk. As such, there are those who still recall the beginnings of this event and yearn for what it used to be.

While the event still clings to the past name rights, that features the word 'Folk' prominently, it is a mere shadow of the event it used to be. It now resembles something more like your standard variety music event, that focuses more on loud electric acts, than it does acoustic based music as it once did. Bluegrass music, and those who love that genre, played a primary role in the beginnings of this event. Of late, each year, the volume levels of the amplified stages and the casual drum circle, which sets up in the very heart of the event, has managed to increase, until those who love the occasional Bluegrass jam can hardly find a quiet moment to share an intimate acoustic tune together on the grounds.

Now compound the volume of the audio cacophony of this phony Folk event with the shamelessly bizarre way it treats actual Folk performance artists, performing acoustically on the grounds as street performers and you might begin to see the twisted and warped creature that this event has become. They not only have unconstitutional rules in place that restrict the actions of those exercising their First Amendment rights to freedom of expression, which is in direct violation of the law, but they also are asking that those who perform on the grounds, and accept donations, offer 15% to the event. Mind you, this is an event that has never offered a single dime to any of the performers who have supported this festival with their talents, freely, for decades. The hypocrisy of this request is beyond my comprehension.

The only reason for it seems to be that the event wants the power to be in control of those who choose to simply offer their acoustic entertainment on the grounds. The love of money, and in this case the lust for power, is the root of all evil actions. They attempt to gain power, over the legal actions of those offering to freely entertain on the grounds, by first painting all of those who choose do so with the broad brush of being 'out of control'. Then they wrangle together what are actually illegal restrictions and use threat of force, and actual force, against those who are acting within the law by labeling them as criminal for doing so.

That's how this event has turned the act of offering Folk music, on public property, into a criminal offense. Fortunately, the courts have ruled just the opposite. Playing Folk music on public property is not a crime!

What is truly bizarre, is why this event feigns ignorance of the law. It is they who are, in fact, out of control and out of line, in their attempts at trying to demonize and criminalize the playing of Folk music or any aspect of freedom of expression.

This event has grown fat via those who have volunteered their time, energy and their music freely and now that it has become bloated with success, they've taken to biting the hand that's been feeding that success.