As the second round of tickets nears exhaustion, festival organiser Jamie McKew has just two requests: If you stay in town, buy a ticket and join the festival; or if you jump in the car to escape, rent out your house for the weekend and give folk fans a place to rest. 

Accommodation is all but filled for the March 8-11 long weekend, with only camp sites left around town, Mr McKew said yesterday.

The challenge of finding a spot to stay still deters those wanting to catch the unique event.

But the festival veteran makes his pitch clear to those living in the nearby region. 

“They should come and enjoy their own festival,” he said. 

“It’s easy to take for granted.

“All you’ve got to do is put fuel in the car.” 

The promoter told the public to expect more names to appear on the line-up list next week.

The third and final round of tickets goes on sale in January.

“But they go pretty quickly,” he said. 

“It’s been sold out for the last 25 years.” 

The 2013 artist bill will bring on stage the likes of Arlo Guthrie, Eric Bogle and Finbar Furey — all of whom Mr McKew yesterday described as “famous raconteurs”.