The success of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival is made possible by the dedicated time, energy, and talents of volunteers. Many people return to volunteer at the Festival because it offers great fun, great people, and lots to learn, and each year, we look forward to adding new volunteers to the ranks. With up to 350 slots open each day, there’s an opportunity suited to all interests!

In 2025, the Festival will take place July 2–7 on the National Mall. Opportunities abound for volunteers! Click the areas below for a brief overview of the roles volunteers will play. Full details can be found in the opportunity posting when you apply.

• Accessibility
  
  To make and maintain an accessible and inclusive environment, the Festival offers services such as American Sign Language interpretation, live captioning, assisted listening, live audio description, and more for all visitors, participants, staff, and volunteers. Experience in the fields of accessibility, inclusion, and/or disability is preferred.
• Audio, Photo, and Video Documentation
  
  The Festival’s daily performances and activities are captured for publicity and archival purposes. Skilled documentarians work with Festival staff to accomplish this feat. Experience in live performance documentation is required.
• Festival Set Up and Load Out
  
  The Festival requires a team of helpful hands and skilled labor to install and create the site and then to deconstruct, disassemble, and remove it all at the end.
• Program Areas
  
  Program volunteers work alongside and support the Festival participants and program staff. Each volunteer is assigned a specific task at the start of their day with a range of responsibilities. Duties may include assisting participants with demonstration area set-up, including moving objects and furniture, or attending to visitors in need, helping to secure participant workspaces, sitting in for participants during breaks, and keeping water coolers full and participants hydrated. Program areas include:

  • Building Trades
  • Family Activities
  • Foodways
  • Gifts from the Land (Garden)
  • Learning Together
  • Emerging Media Makers
  • Museum of Contemporary American Teenagers
  • Music Apprenticeship & Wordsmiths and Storytellers
  • Native Language Reclamation
  • Streetwise/Skating and Skate Arts
• Sustainability
  
  The Festival is the largest composting and recycling effort on the National Mall, and the sustainability team helps visitors divert hundreds of tons of waste from landfills through its many “Resource Recovery” stations. Experience in ecological or sustainability work is preferred. 
• Visitor Services & Participant Hospitality
  
  The Festival welcomes participants and visitors from across the United States and around the world to the National Mall. Volunteers are essential to making them feel welcome and informed.

How to Apply

The Smithsonian’s volunteer system is now open for Festival applications!

If you are a new volunteer:

1. Go to the vol.si.edu.
2. Click on Find New Opportunities in the upper right corner.
3. In the Keywords field, enter “festival” and click Search.
4. Scroll down to see all available volunteer positions. Click More to see full descriptions.
5. When you find a position you want, click Sign Up.
6. Fill in your new user details to create an account and apply. Make sure you indicate any roles or opportunities that interest you in your application.
7. When finished, click Submit. Your application will be reviewed, and once approved, you’ll be notified to sign up for a shift.

If you have volunteered with us in the past:

1. Go to the vol.si.edu.
2. Type in your user ID (email address) and password to sign in.
3. Hover over the Find Opportunities tab and select New Opportunities.
4. In the Keywords field, enter “festival” and click Search.
5. Scroll down to see all available volunteer positions. Click More to see full descriptions.
6. When you find a position you want, click Sign Up.
7. Update your personal information and indicate which roles and opportunities interest you for this Festival.
8. When finished, click Submit. Your application will be reviewed, and once approved, you’ll be notified to sign up for a shift.

Early application is encouraged. Some roles require unique training, so late applications or walk-ups may not be eligible for all opportunities.