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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.


Upcoming Events

A drummer performing on stage in a gold jacket in front of a fucshia and turquoise backdrop.
Thursday, April 3–Sunday, April 6

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.


Exhibitions

Color illustration of the ornate Chinatown gate in D.C. in red, blue, green, and yellow.
Friendship Archway, Streetscape at Seventh and H Streets NW, 1985–86.
AEPA Architects Engineers PC
On view until November 30, 2025

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.

A mariachi plays guitar next to a deep blue lowrider car for a crowd gathered on the other side at sunset.
National Museum of American History
Opens October 2025

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.”


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