Smithsonian Folklife Festival

As the largest annual cultural event in DC, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival is an international exposition of living cultural heritage annually produced outdoors on the National Mall. Over the years, it has brought more than 23,000 musicians, artists, performers, craftspeople, workers, cooks, storytellers, and others to demonstrate the skills, knowledge, and aesthetics that embody the creative vitality of community-based traditions.

Free to the public, like other Smithsonian museums, the Festival takes place for 2 weeks every summer. It is an educational presentation that features community-based cultural exemplars. The Festival generally includes daily and evening programs of music, song, dance, celebratory performance, crafts and cooking demonstrations, storytelling, illustrations of workers’ culture, and narrative sessions for discussing cultural issues.