About the Festival
At the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, experience living traditions from around the world. Our goal is to work with communities to strengthen and preserve their cultures and share them with you on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.
The next Festival is
June 24–28 & July 1 –5, 2020
June 24–28 & July 1 –5, 2020
Upcoming Events
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January 24, 2020, 4–7 p.m.Brazilian Film Screening: Candomblé & Religious IntoleranceRalph Bunche Center, Howard University
In recognition of the Day of Religious Intolerance, join us for two short films that honor, explore, and highlight the Afro-Brazilian religious practice of Candomblé.
Following the films, members of Casa de Oxumaré (one of Bahia’s oldest and most respected Candomblé centers) and filmmaker Marcos Rezende will join via webcast for a discussion on critical issues surrounding racial, social, and faith-based tensions in Brazil.
Looking Ahead
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Photo by Cristina Diaz-CarreraIn 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 regional representations from Brazil and the United Arab Emirates, alongside the U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon and Smithsonian Conservation Commons.
Festival Blog
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December 10, 2019“This Is a D.C. Thing!” Head-Roc on Social Issues in Music
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December 5, 2019“Where’s the DJ?” How Women DJs in D.C. Are Shaking Up the Scene
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December 2, 2019Reimagining Classic Games with the Black Girls Handgames Project
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November 6, 2019Asian and American Ginseng: A Plant’s Migration Around the World
Past Programs
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2011 FestivalColombia: The Nature of CultureVisitors journeyed through presentations of the rich bio-cultural diversity of Colombia and explored how Colombian cultural expressions are inextricably connected to their distinctive environments.
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1993 FestivalU.S.-Mexico BorderlandsBased on research in the rich and dynamic living culture of the border, the program provided a glimpse at its histories, diverse communities, local and regional identities, and its music, arts, crafts, healing practices, foodways, and narrative.
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1991 FestivalForest, Field and Sea: Folklife in IndonesiaCommunities from three provinces displayed some of the indigenous skills and traditional knowledge that have developed in environments outside the urban centers and fertile river valleys of the Indonesian heartland.
Support the Folklife Festival, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, sustainability projects, educational outreach, and more.
