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Marketplace

Handmade by and for the people
Many people wandering among Marketplace displays in a large circular room.
The 2015 Marketplace in the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian

Photo by Daniel Martinez, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives
Photo by Daniel Martinez, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives

Products from California on display at the Marketplace.

Photo by Ravon Ruffin, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives
National Heritage Fellow Veronica Castillo demonstrates Mexican American ceramics in the 2017 Marketplace.
Photo by Daniel Martinez, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives
Display of small animal figures sculpted from multicolored flip-flops.
Photo by Julie Byrne, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives

Shop the Smithsonian Folklife Festival Marketplace

The in-person Festival Marketplace is on hiatus in 2024, but we encourage you to shop in the online store.

The Marketplace honors the creativity, cultural heritage, and masterful skill of our Festival participants. Your purchase not only supports artist and artisan groups but also contributes to the sustained development of traditional crafts worldwide and, ultimately, the mission of the Smithsonian.

This exceptional shopping experience is your opportunity to share the inspired—and inspiring—sights and sounds of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. Shoppers will find beautiful works created by past Festival participants as well as a global community of talented artisans.

Year-round, explore the online Marketplace presented in collaboration with NOVICA, the the world’s largest impact-retailer for artisans and craftspeople around the world.

  • A woman holds up a rack of yarn dyed with rich natural colors: golds, greens, and reds.
    Weavers at the Center for Traditional Textiles of Cusco use natural dyes to create brilliant colors for their textiles.
    Photo by Josué Castilleja, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives
    About NOVICA

    With a mission to empower artisans and preserve culture worldwide, NOVICA has become one of the largest handmade gift and home decor websites in the world, selling the works of thousands of artisans and featuring over 50,000 limited edition works of art. NOVICA was founded in 1999 and is headquartered in Santa Monica, California, with regional artisan empowerment hubs in Asia, Africa, and Latin America.

  • Weaving demonstration at the 2017 Festival
    Photo by Daniel Martinez, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives
    How We Work

    Our priority is to honor individuals demonstrating their cultural heritage on the National Mall during the annual Folklife Festival. All of our work is guided by fair-trade principles. We develop transparent and accountable relationships and pay artisans promptly and fairly. By providing training to those who are new to selling on a global scale and inviting past participants to sell their work on consignment, we extend our support beyond the life of the two-week Festival.

Support the Folklife Festival, Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, sustainability projects, educational outreach, and more.
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