The pint-sized triceratops was an unwitting emblem of the community spirit and feelgood vibes of the National Folk Festival in Canberra, held during the Easter break.

Plod was the mascot for The Crystal Shack, one of the many stalls at the festival at Exhibition Park in Canberra.

Owner Rob Scott, from the Central Coast of NSW, has been coming to the folk festival for the past five years, selling crystals, fossils, jewellery and rocks.

When Plod when "missing" on the Saturday night of the festival, Rob wrote it off as just one of the downsides of running a business in such a public arena.

But he wasn't counting on the dedication of the staff of the National Folk Festival.

They ramped up the hunt for Plod and generated some much-appreciated goodwill for Rob.

The festival staff printed out humorous missing posters for Plod - putting in the description that he was "68 million years old" with crystal horns and a liking for "punk folk and cinnamon popcorn".

"Seen last night heading past Kidzfest with a group of teens. Might be hungover and in need of a saucisson cone," the posters read.

The posters were plastered across EPIC and also broadcast on the festival big screens.

Rob said the stalls team, headed by Jayne Simon, were determined to find Plod, believing his theft was just not on.

"People put in so much of an effort that we were quite taken aback," Rob said.

"The publicity led to a mass feeling of sentiment among festival attendees regarding Plod's welfare - and ours for that matter.

"Literally hundreds of people came up to us and asked, 'Are you okay?'. In the end we couldn't pack up, so many people were asking about him."

Rob reckoned the attitude towards Plod's disappearance was a reflection of the community spirit of the folk festival.

"A lot of the bigger events, they're just not personalised at all, it's all about the money. But the 'National', it's different. It's a more genteel and a more educated crowd," he said.

"It doesn't matter if they're from Melbourne or Wollongong or New Zealand, they all just come together. I really think the folk festival is unique for its sense of community and family atmosphere.

"The professional and dedicated efforts of both staff and volunteers must be commended."

Despite the valiant efforts of the festival staff, Plod is still missing.

Rob says that hasn't deterred him from returning to the folk festival next year, with a replacement mascot.

"I think I'll try for a pterodactyl next time, so I can hang him up," he said, with a laugh.