Smithsonian Folklife

Our team had an incredible time at the Concert of Colors celebrating music, culture, and community alongside so many talented artists and passionate attendees. 🌍

From unforgettable performances by groups like Kronos Quartet and National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters, to making meaningful connections in story circles and processions, every moment was a reminder of the power of music to bring people together. 🎶

Additionally, our "We Hold These Truths" mobile storytelling initiative was on-site, providing an opportunity for community members, artists, and arts and culture leaders to share their stories and be a part of the national conversation in this 250th anniversary year.

The history and unifying mission of this made Concert of Colors a perfect collaborating event for "Of the People: The Smithsonian Festival of Festivals." See where we're headed next: https://s.si.edu/4uR4rii

Photos by Sonya Pencheva, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives

Smithsonian Folklife is seeking writers in the AFS community who can use their skills in ethnographic research, interviewing, and creative writing to help tell stories relating to the Of the People festivals, examining how communities remember, harmonize, move, and grow together through festive gatherings.

Articles should be in the range of 1,600 to 2,500 words. Writing should be for a general audience. Writers are paid $500 for a completed article.

Learn more at https://americanfolkloresociety.org/smithsonian-folklife-seeks-writers-for-of-the-people-festivals/

📸People parade along the William J. Clinton Presidential Library and cross the Arkansas River together at the Arkansas Folklife Festival. Photo by Sonya Pencheva.

At Milepost 241, in Laurel Springs, North Carolina, The Bluffs Restaurant is both a mountain eatery and a community gathering spot. 🍴

Earlier this year, The Bluffs partnered with the Blue Ridge Music Center to host the inaugural Fiddle & Fork Festival, bringing together musicians, chefs, farmers, storytellers, and artisans for a celebration of Blue Ridge Mountain music, foodways, and crafts. The inaugural festival collaborated with the Smithsonian Folklife Festival as part of this year's "Of the People: The Smithsonian Festival of Festivals" initiative.

On the Festival Blog, learn more about the history of The Bluffs Restaurant and its role as a living home for Southern Appalachian food culture: https://s.si.edu/3S87Iw9

Photos by Sonya Pencheva, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives

Listen to the stories behind iconic American symbols, the people operating the national museum behind the scenes, and the initiatives advancing our shared future with Smithsonian staff, community partners, and thought leaders. ☀️

Hosted in the historic Arts and Industries Building this past summer, "For the Common Good: Smithsonian Voices on Our Shared Future 250" invited attendees to listen, ask, and reflect as colleagues and collaborators share how their work across museums, research centers, and internal offices contributes to that future. All thirty-six unique sessions were recorded and the series now lives on our YouTube channel.

Re-visit these conversations for an exploration of commemoration, conservation, and education across the Smithsonian: https://s.si.edu/4yTehDp

Photo by Josh Weilepp, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives

The Black Hills rise up in western South Dakota like an island of pine and granite. This year, South Dakota Humanities Council's One Book South Dakota program selected a book that illuminates this landscape, bringing its history into focus.

"A Biography of a Mountain: The Making and Meaning of Mount Rushmore," by Matthew Davis, explores the layered history of the Black Hills—examining its origins as sacred tribal ground for Indigenous communities, the site of mythology and communal identity, and the place of the Mount Rushmore National Memorial. It discusses questions of land, identity, and memory.

As part of the program, the council brought the annual One Book South Dakota initiative to seven communities across the state, including, for the first time, the Pine Ridge and Cheyenne River reservations. In addition to highlighting the book, the events also created opportunities for culture bearers and community members to share their work and stories.

During the One Book presentation at the Dahl Arts Center, artist, educator, and member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe Marty Two Bulls Jr. spoke on "Tailings," an exhibit that engages with the environment and modern development. Oyul Fusion - LaoKota Cuisine, a Laotian and Lakota fusion cuisine catering company led by Mali Souksavath, served the event, sharing new spins on traditional food.

Produced in collaboration with the Federation of State Humanities Councils, By the People shines a light on the individuals whose daily contributions keep our communities vibrant, connected, and evolving. Explore the StoryMap to find what’s happening near you. https://s.si.edu/4t2xMpP

Flying through the air with the greatest of ease... 🎪🎶

Throwback to the Circus Arts program at the 2017 Smithsonian Folklife Festival, which celebrated the rich history, mystique and diversity of circus arts on the National Mall. Along with new students and celebrated masters, visitors could experience the many dimensions of circus arts through performances, demonstrations, and workshops under a Big Top tent and other colorful venues.

This year, we're thrilled to present "Circus Arts Conservatory: Artistry, Education, and Labor of Circus Arts," a spotlight program that brings the circus back to Washington, D.C. over Labor Day Weekend. The Circus Arts Conservatory of Sarasota, Florida, will join us for programming that honors both the wonder of the circus and the craft and labor that make it possible.

A full schedule of events is forthcoming, but for now, save the dates for September 5—7 and get ready for some three-ring fun!

Learn more about this year's spotlight programs: https://s.si.edu/3Qqyy1F

Photos by Joe Furgal, Art Pittman, Armaan Ahmed, and Pruitt Allen, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives

"It is the life of the American folk that we celebrate here today, not their encased artifacts, as important as they may be. For it is the people themselves here in festivals like this across the country that provide us with an understanding of our own community." 🎆 —Mark Hatfield, U.S. Senator from Oregon, 1978

After nearly six decades of inviting visitors to the National Mall, in 2026, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival is coming to you. So far this year, we've collaborated with fourteen different gatherings in hometowns around the United States, amplifying festivals as spaces for civic engagement during this 250th anniversary year. And best of all? We still have twenty more to go.

See some moments below of learning, exchange, and belonging from a few of the places we've been, and learn more about where we're going next: https://s.si.edu/4uR4rii

Photos from the Arkansas Folklife Festival, Dawnland Festival of Arts & Ideas presented by the Abbe Museum, Baltimore Irish Trad Fest, Living Traditions Presents, and The Bluffs Restaurant & Blue Ridge Music Center's Fiddle & Fork Festival, by Sonya Pencheva and Grace Bowie, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives