Festival director Dave Crowden said based on cost estimates, around 3500 walked through the gates this year, an increase from 3000 last year. 

He thought reasons for this could be due to getting a headline act of such calibre as Archie Roach, and as the committee had done a great job with publicity. 

“We have been growing gradually every year, but there was a bit of a jump this year,” he said. 

Mr Crowden said research conducted last year showed the folk festival brought almost $500,000 into the local economy.

Due to this year’s swell in attendance, he expected at least a 20 per cent increase on that figure.  

As those who tried to get into the Gulaga venue during Roach’s performance would know, the venue was not big enough, so Mr Crowden said they are looking at getting a bigger one for next year. 

One idea he had was using the Cobargo Showground oval, as it formed a natural amphitheatre. 

Responding to concerns that alcohol was not able to be taken out of the bar area, Mr Crowden said that was a condition of their licence this year. 

He also said from the 2016 festival smoking will be restricted to certain areas. 

Overall, festival-goers had behaved themselves very well and Mr Crowden said the whole festival site was remarkably clean. 

At other festivals Mr Crowden has seen plenty of rubbish and trash lying around, but this year at the Cobargo festival he said there was hardly anything to pick up.