June 26-30 and July 3-7, 2019
Looking Ahead
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2019 FestivalIn 2019, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival takes as its animating theme the social power of music, with programs featuring Benin, Brazil, and more to be announced. Musicians, dancers, instrument makers, and other cultural practitioners will engage visitors through daily workshops, master classes, panel discussions, and performances.
The public—both on site and across digital platforms—will be encouraged to play instruments, join pop-up choirs, participate in social dances, and share stories about the ways in which music connects them to each other and to the larger world.
Festival Blog
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November 30, 2018Catalonia: A Welcoming Plaza, a Cohesive Society
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November 9, 2018How to Become Catalan
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November 2, 2018Armenian Recipe: Khashlama (Meat Stew)
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October 29, 2018Transformations in Catalan Culture
Past Programs
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The Silk Road
2002 FestivalThe Silk Road was a vast network of trade routes whose flow of ideas, culture, music, and art spread from East Asia to the Mediterranean. This landmark Festival brought together diverse artists from across the Eurasian continent.
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Masters of the Building Arts
2001 FestivalWorking in wood, stone, brick, and metal, masters of the building arts transform designs on paper into three-dimensional works of art. Research from this program led to the new documentary film Good Work (2017).
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Black Urban Expressive Culture from Philadelphia
1984 FestivalThe rhythm and flavor of black American urban community life take one in many directions. At the Festival, visitors experienced Philadelphia’s gospel and blues music as well as early hip-hop culture: break-dancing, rapping, and DJing.