As the nation’s attention turned to the economic impacts of the farming crisis in the late 1980s, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival sought to highlight one of the lesser known aspects of the crisis.

The church was home to the August Quarterly Festival, still running 212 years later.

In a state where there are typically miles between neighbors, the Blackfoot Ranch Rodeo in Idaho provides a space for the community to come together.

The journey of miincipi reflects the journey of the Myaamia people, who have been working tirelessly to reclaim their language and culture.

Learn about the childhood traditions of staff who worked on the 2025 Smithsonian Folklife Festival.

The artisans create work that is not just handcrafted and rooted in cultural tradition but also distinctively modern in its aesthetic.

As children grow into teens, adults, and beyond, it is common to become more detached and critical of what younger generations say, do, or think.

Unlike the stone masons at the Cathedral, we build the Smithsonian Folklife Festival knowing it will be gone in a matter of days.

The collision of music styles mirrored that of bodies bumping into each other, creating a soup of sound and energy that perfectly encapsulated this year’s Festival: one that is proud to be loud.

A crucial component of being an effective changemaker is making time for joy—for the things that fill up your cup.