Smithsonian Folklife Festival
[Washington, DC] Inaugurated in 1967, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival honors living cultural traditions and celebrates those who practice and sustain them.
Produced annually by the Smithsonian’s Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage and presented in association with the National Park Service, the festival has featured participants from all fifty states, every U.S. territory and more than one hundred countries.
Festival events are always free of charge.
Visitors to the 2023 Smithsonian Folklife Festival will experience this country’s diverse cultural landscape in two featured programs: “The Ozarks: Faces and Facets of a Region” and “Creative Encounters: Living Religions in the U.S.”
This year’s Smithsonian Folklife Festival takes place on the National Mall, Jun. 29 – Jul. 4 and Jul. 6 – Jul. 9, 2023. Although festival hours are 11 am to 5:30 pm, most nights also feature a 6 pm concert.
FOLKLIFE FESTIVAL LINKS
PHOTO CREDIT: The Ozark Mountain Daredevils, formed in Springfield, MO, in 1972, perform an evening concert on July 4. Photo by Jim Mayfield.