Festival Blog

Queer Filipino spoken word poet Jerrica Escoto grapples with self-identity and living in the shadows of their parents’ sacrifice in their poems. As children of immigrants, Jerrica and I have shared similar struggles.

For the last few days, a nostalgic sound has been wafting through the Folklife Festival. It’s a familiar sound but from a likely unfamiliar musical instrument.

Husband and wife Mark Jaster and Sabrina Mandell started the troupe in 2006. Their house, tucked away among the trees, is half living space and half composing space.

Where are you from? Where are you going? Why do you do what you do? These probably sound like simple questions, but they are at the core of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival.

This year’s Folklife Festival is jam-packed with amazing performances and awe-inspiring shows. But if you’re visiting with young ones, what is the best way to keep busy between shows?

People who immigrate as adults must overcome many challenges, but what hardships do their children face?

The first weekend of the Folklife Festival came to a close today, welcoming members of the Caribbean community in Washington, D.C., to the On the Move program and a full house for each performance in the Circus Arts Big Top.

Dominique Jando knows the circus inside and out. Born and raised in Paris, France, and now living in San Francisco, he has spent his entire adult life surrounded by the circus.

Two traditions of the Brazilian dance and martial art capoeira came together yesterday on the Migration Walkway.