Hey Russ. I think the way people come together to celebrate music has changed since the 60s, and that the festival/camp out thing is just the way the contemporary musicians and music fans want it. It started out as a sort of Woodstock effect, but it is in no way limited to the rock music genre anymore.

At festivals, be they the camp out and outdoor music sort, or in pubs with people staying in hostels and B & Bs, there are much fewer barriers between stage and audience, and everyone is welcome to and can particpate in the music, no matter how bad they are (except among the elitist type festivals, held more for the benefit of the "stars" than the music community at large).

This change hasn't just happened with folk music though. Many music genres are this way, from rock to country to punk to Old Time, you name it. This is the way young people want to come together to witness and experience the music. And festivals now combine arts and culture with the festivals too, giving people music, art, food, dance, theatre, etc all in one festival. Or maybe it is a food sort of festival, with music acts.

I think it's great. Festivals are a lot of fun. It is something you can do with a group of friends, to help keep costs down. Young people like the free spritied aspect of the festival, because they can party their brains out round the clock with like minded people. I steer clear of the party crowd nowadays, but I still love going to festivals. But there is no way I would limit myself only to folk festivals, or even just to music festivals. The world is just too rich and full of wonderful things to stuck in the same old, same old, IMO.