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  • Ruby Ibarra
  • The Social Power of Music

    This year we celebrate the power of music to entertain, educate, inspire, preserve history, strengthen identity, and build community.

    Saturday, June 29, 12–10 p.m.
    Join us on the National Mall to learn about local music culture with zine-making activities and archiving demonstrations at the D.C. Music Preservation Pop-Up. Grab some drinks and food truck delicacies and stay for the evening concert featuring Ruby Ibarra and sets curated by Quetzal and GoldLink.

    Sunday, June 30, 10:30 a.m.–6:30 p.m.
    Sing along at the Smithsonian Folkways tribute to Pete Seeger with The Bright Siders, Sonia De Los Santos, Dan & Claudia Zanes, and Elizabeth Mitchell and Your Are My Flower, plus instrument workshops and more. Hip-hop pioneer Grandmaster Flash closes out the weekend.

  • D.C. Music Events
    D.C. Music Events

    In addition to the preservation pop-up on June 29, D.C.: The Social Power of Music is presenting arts workshops, performances, and more leading up to a full program in 2020.

  • Kennedy Center Concerts
    Kennedy Center Concerts

    We are co-presenting five additional free concerts on the Millennium Stage June 29 through July 3. All concerts will stream live from the Kennedy Center’s website.

  • Smithsonian Year of Music
    Smithsonian Year of Music

    The Festival is just two of 365 days of music at the Smithsonian in 2019 as the institution is presenting concerts, workshops, films, exhibitions, and lectures every day of the year.

Upcoming Events

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  • Brazil Mixer
    June 8, 2019, 2 to 5 p.m.
    Brazil in D.C. Mixer

    Rhizome DC

    As we look forward to a program in 2020, connect with people participating and interested in Brazilian music and culture in the D.C. area.

  • Frame of Mind Exhibit Opening & Book Launch
    June 20, 2019, 12:30 to 1:30 p.m.
    Frame of Mind Exhibit Opening & Book Launch

    Lost Origins Gallery

    An exhibition and a book, Frame of Mind features photographs and essays from two decades of punk rock in Washington, D.C.

Festival 101

  • The Smithsonian Folklife Festival, established in 1967, honors contemporary living cultural traditions and celebrates those who practice and sustain them. Produced annually by the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage on the National Mall, the Festival has featured participants from all fifty states and more than one hundred countries.

    The 2019 Festival will look a little different, with two days of concerts instead of our usual two weeks of craft demonstrations, narrative sessions, cooking demonstrations, and more. Visitors will still be able to enjoy live music, a variety of food and drink options from local food trucks, instrument workshops for all ages, and presentations about the D.C. music scene.

Featured Video

Looking Ahead

  • In the West African nation of Benin, these Zangbeto spirits protect communities from physical and spiritual danger.
    Photo by Rebecca Fenton

    In 2020, we will be back in full form as the Folklife Festival explores how diverse domains of cultural knowledge—from religion to design to science—shape the ways we understand, experience, and respond to ever-changing natural, social, and built environments.

    Programs will include the Baltic countries, Benin, Brazil, Cuba, D.C., Louisiana, and the United Arab Emirates. Alongside regional representations are the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon and Smithsonian Conservation Commons. A look at the rich history of American ginseng rounds out next year’s programming.

Support the Folklife Festival, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, sustainability projects, educational outreach, and more.
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