Even before the gates of the Boston Folk Festival officially opened at 11:00 am on Saturday, a crowd of two or three hundred had already gathered on the soccer-field-turned-concert-stage, anxiously awaiting the start of the first set. By the time Nancy Griffith closed the festival Sunday evening, that number would expand to several thousand paying concert goers – and several hundred others who were able to overhear the concert for free.

One could pretend to wait at the bus stop, feign reading a book on the library’s outside steps, or take a jog along Perimeter Road and soak up enjoyable music. Folk’s origins in acoustic music have long since been passed by, and powerful amplifiers made overhearing the concerts for free easy. About the only ‘sheltered’ venue was the Chanteyboat, afloat in the harbor.

Some might balk at the high ticket price, especially since there is no student discount. Even at fifty dollars for a two-day pass, the Folk Festival is still competitive with more commercial offerings such as the Newport Folk Festival (Rhode Island) or Falcon Ridge (New York). The Boston Folk Festival sold out this year.

The ticket price included free admission to all events, including the boat tour and children’s events. But there were plenty of opportunities to part ways with the green once at the Festival.

Just as the MASS-CANN (“HempFest”) festival hosts righteous protestors and stoners alike, the Folk Festival reflects a certain social conscience – and a keen commercial eye. Equal Exchange Coffee, for instance, assured the coffee connoisseur that its farmers are paid a fair wage; A Thread of Hope informed the passerby that its knit goods are handmade by a Mayan weavers’ collective.

But both booths were surrounded by others selling the usual glut of overpriced CDs, T-shirts, and other mass-manufactured trinkets. And while the concerns of the poor and oppressed in South America raised this reporter’s awareness, the five dollar cost for burritos brought to mind thoughts about hunger in America.

In a year blessed with free performances of both Shakespeare and Bizet on Boston Common, it’s easy to overlook the deep budget cuts felt in the arts. The Massachusetts Cultural Coalition, which helps sponsor the Folk Festival, suffered a 62% reduction in funding this year. In difficult times, the saying goes, the arts are always the first to go. Yet, in difficult times, they’re also what is most needed. Music lifts up the soul, unites us as a community.

So next year, try and make it out to the Festival. Bring a friend. Enjoy the sun, the sea breeze, the carefree music. Support the arts.