1. Get rid of the hype. Create a gathering rather than a production...

2. Competitions destroy the free expression of the folk. Focusing on quality limits participation. Even a song presented poorly is worth all of your efforts.

3. Dont pay for anything you can get for free. So many organizers simply pay the bills till money is gone and then cant do any more.
Start by sincere dedicated begging and you will find there is much that can be obtained.

4. Ask that support services be as dedicated to the concept, the music the art as the many volunteers and musicians. That is dont pay them. Do with out. I get tired that support services always can get their money while everyone else must volunteer. One finds therfore that events arent to support the music but rather the providers of support services. Keep it simple and you wont need support services anyway.

5. Get rid of amplification and huge audiences. Keep audiences small
20-30 max. In this setting the intimacy of folk music is preserved. Simply have more stages. When one is filled open the next. The only reason for large gatherings is that musicians are lazy and won't perform more than once and organizers are greedy.

6.Insist that all musicians stay for the entire day and mingle with the audience and where possible play casually around the festival area when not on stage. So many musicians fail to arrange sufficient time for festivals. Too often its play for a short set then depart in haste. Screw them! If you cant give the time then dont come. And be sure that musicians do not hide out behind barriers. Their role is mingling with the crowd and bringing music to the people.

7.Do not ask for volunteers when you are paying other people. This common practice is unfair. Volunteers should not be used to make profit for others. Either all get paid or all volunteer. If you pay volunteers you can always give them a way to donate their money back.

8.Insist that all vendors provide special cheaper prices for festival goers not special more expensive prices. Festivals should be places for bargains and not for shooting fish in the barrel.

9.Sell all food and drink at cost. Too often folk can not attend a festival because they cant feed the family and pay admission too. When you take excessive prices for food and drink less disposable income is available for cd purchases etc... Put profit asside in favor of the music. Flipping burgers and selling them at cost is not rocket science.

10. Free admission. A festival that claims to be supportive of the arts does not support the arts or extend the arts if people can not attend. A person with no money in the pocket should be able to come in. Always. That is supporting the arts. I think it is a tragedy that so many festivals which claim to support the arts are only supporting money making.Do something else to make the money. Then have an open festival.

I could think up a few more and might....
all for now.

All you need for music is musicians and a field-

Conrad