Tired of fighting your way through thousands of fellow major festival-goers, finding somewhere to park, to camp, endless queues for the toilet, the bar, something to eat?

Be a maverick and head to Easton, near Woodbridge, instead.

Voted one of the country’s top ten small festivals of last year, the annual celebration of the very best of Americana and roots music both sides of the Atlantic returns to Easton Farm Park from July 1-3.

“We offer a top quality festival experience at a fraction of the price of other local events,” says founder and organiser Paul Spencer.

Not that it’s easy on an increasingly crowded calendar.

“Audiences are spoilt for choice; you’ve only got to look at the guides to see how many events there are competing for people’s pound notes. We work hard to keep it fresh and exciting without losing what makes it special.”

This year’s line-up across four stages does that, boasting Otis Lee Crenshaw - aka comedian and musician Rich Hall - and Melanie Safka, who sang at the original Woodstock and Glastonbury when it was just a fayre.

“Hall is just going to be awesome, he’s bringing three other musicians so I know we’ll get the full Crenshaw experience. Some people say wouldn’t it be nice to introduce comedy into the Maverick Festival; the answer is no because it’s a music festival. But Hall presented the rarest of things; an opportunity to introduce comedy with music and not just with music but with a spoof on country. It fitted perfectly.”

So does the festival’s continued setting; with the park’s normal attractions open.

“We’re family orientated, this is often the first festival people come to as a young family; they feel comfortable bringing small children, toddlers even. They can enjoy the surroundings and the parents can dip in and out of the different music that’s on offer,” he adds.

Families, particularly youngsters, love staying in the onsite tepee village. Their pastoral campsite has plenty of room for those with tents or camper vans to stay too; getting around pesky pitch size restrictions that plague you other places.

Local produce is key, with drink from small breweries in the area - like Aspall Cyder and Calvors Lager near Ipswich - and food from handpicked Suffolk vendors.

So is the chance for visitors to immerse themselves in the music via workshops on violin, slide guitar, claw banjo and ukulele.

“We’re holding prices wherever we can; ensuring value for money and guaranteeing that boutique experience where you can get close to the artists and get a real experience of real music.”

Playing The Barn are: Friday, The Rejection, The Dustbusters, Rick Shea, The Good Intentions, Feral Mouth, Police Dog Hogan, The Obitsuns. Saturday, The Henry Brothers, Billy and Jeni, Danny Schmidt, Sadie and the Hot Heads, Ragged String Band, The Rosellys, Kacey Cubero, Dead Rock West, Brigitte de Meyer, The Obitsuns, Otis Lee Crenshaw, The Vagaband. Sunday, So Last Century String Band, The Henry Brothers, Billy and Jeni, Linda McCrae, Dead Rock West.

In The Tack Room are: Saturday, film Everybody Needs Somebody, Paul Spencer Remembers Solomon, Brook Williams guitar workshop, Linda McCrae banjo workshop, Feral Mouth, Roosevelt Bandwagon, The Rejection. Sunday, the film Everybody Needs Somebody.

Playing the Peacock Caf� are: Saturday, Danni Nichols, Bob Collum, Linda McCrae, Will Scott, Melanie.

On the Maverick Stage are: Saturday, Deanna, invocation and flute, GFAS, Songs from the Blue House, The Ugly Guys, Stompin Dave Allen, Society, Oh My Darlin’, The Travelling Band, Blue Rodeo.