Smithsonian Folklife Festival

The Smithsonian Folklife Festival is a national as well as internationally renowned festival representing the family reunion. Started in 1967, it has brought more than 16,000 musicians, artists, craftsmen, workers and storytellers to present their skills. The festival celebrates the cultural heritage of American and International communities.

The event typically includes storytelling, dance, music, workshops and craft demonstrations, ranging from chair making to quilting. The local scholars and Smithsonian curators speak for themselves, with each other and to the public. The Festival encourages visitors to participate—to learn, sing, dance, eat traditional foods, and converse with people presented in the Festival program.

As the largest annual cultural event in the U.S. capital, the Festival receives considerable publicity, typically reaching 40 million readers and viewers through print and electronic media. In the past, the Festival was named the Top Event in the U.S. by the American Bus Association as a result of a survey of regional tourist bureaus - - thus joining previous winners that include the Olympics and the World Expo.

Admission is free, and the festival is held every summer around June/July.

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Contact Information

Smithsonian Folklife Festival
750, 9th Street, NW, Suite 4100
20560 Washington DC

Tel. +12022751150
folklife-info@si.edu
http://www.folklife.si.edu