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About the Festival
At the annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival, you can meet communities from around the world presenting music, dance, crafts, foodways, storytelling, and other living traditions. Our goal is to strengthen and preserve these cultures by presenting them on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
The next Festival:
June 27–July 1 and July 4–8, 2018.
Hope to see you here!

Upcoming Events

  • IlluminAsia
    October 14 and 15, 2017
    IlluminAsia: A Festival of Asian Art, Food, and Cultures

    Freer|Sackler Galleries
    1050 Independence Ave. SW

    Join us in celebrating the reopening of the Smithsonian’s Freer|Sackler galleries with a free weekend festival of music and dance performances, food and craft demonstrations, language and martial arts lessons, and more.

    The event will take place inside and outside the museum, in the Haupt Garden south of the Smithsonian Castle, and on the National Mall.

Looking Ahead

  • Catalonia
    2018 Festival

    Next year our attention will turn internationally, as we highlight cultural heritage enterprises in Africa, Armenia, and Catalonia through fashion, feasts, and other festivities. Expect to experience human towers with the Catalans, Armenian craft and cooking demonstrations, traditional-meets-contemporary styles from around the African continent, and much more.

    As we prepare and collaborate with communities around the world, we’re also planning for the years ahead. In 2019, we will feature the social power of music, as a means to build community, reinforce identity, and influence society, and in 2020 indigenous communities, cultural sustainability, and the environment.

Past Programs
more
  • Circus Arts
    Circus Arts
    2017 Festival

    The Festival brought the rich history, mystique, and diversity of circus to life with performances and a look behind the scenes from generations of American circus families and contemporary visionaries.

  • On the Move
    On the Move
    2017 Festival

    Highlighting the perspectives of youth, this program hosted intergenerational conversations about the interplay of migration, creativity, culture, and the social power of tradition and art.

  • 50th Anniversary
    50th Anniversary
    2017 Festival

    During a Reunion Weekend of discussions and jam sessions, we rang in a half-century by looking into the past and to the future, inviting staff, participants, and visitors to share their views on the culture of the Festival.

Support the Center and our important work, including the Folklife Festival, Folkways Recordings, exhibitions, films, and educational materials.
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