In addition to daily performances and activities on the National Mall, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival recommends events and exhibitions relating to our programs at other Smithsonian museums and venues around Washington, D.C. All events are free unless otherwise noted.
Words Beats & Life Festival 2025
Various venues in Washington, D.C.
wblinc.org
Immerse yourself in four days of electrifying hip-hop and jazz concerts, vibrant DJ parties, and captivating poetry events, including, Jazz & Blossoms, a premiere event of the National Cherry Blossom Festival with fun for the entire family.
Music HerStory: Women and Music of Social Change
National Museum of American History
library.si.edu
From our earliest musical encounters to the formation of complex social identities, the American musical landscape wouldn’t be what it is today without the countless contributions of women changemakers, groundbreakers, and tradition-bearers. Women’s leadership in music and social change is central to the American story. Music HerStory explores these contributions through unique media collections from across the Smithsonian.
Sightlines: Chinatown and Beyond
Smithsonian American Art Museum
apa.si.edu
Installed in a gallery overlooking G Street NW in D.C.’s historical Chinatown neighborhood, the Sightlines exhibition provides glimpses into the complexity and depth of Asian American connections to the city. The featured stories highlight examples of cultural production that interpret elements of Chinese, Korean, and Javanese heritage or express coalitional Asian American and BIPOC identities.
Corazón y vida: Lowrider Culture
National Museum of American History
americanhistory.si.edu
Lowriding culture combines artistic expression, technological innovations, and storytelling that reflects Mexican American and Chicano culture and identity. This vibrant, bilingual exhibition showcases this unique car-making tradition with photos, graphics, and two classic Chevy Impalas: “El Rey” and “Gypsy Rose.”
