For America’s 250th, the Smithsonian’s Largest Cultural Public Program Collaborates with Festivals Across the Country
To commemorate the 250th anniversary of the ratification of the Declaration of Independence, the Smithsonian is taking its oldest and largest public program—the annual Folklife Festival—on the road to communities across the country and to U.S. territories. “Of the People: The Smithsonian Festival of Festivals” illuminates how festivals serve as enduring tools for community engagement and cultural exchange. By taking the Folklife Festival beyond Washington, D.C., the Smithsonian will join millions of people in their own communities to commemorate, celebrate and contemplate this national milestone. A schedule of the festivals and an interactive map are on the Folklife Festival website.
Through November, the Smithsonian’s Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, which produces the Folklife Festival, will collaborate with more than 30 events around the country, ranging from one-day festivals to weeklong gatherings. The center works with local organizations to design activities that reflect the voices, stories and aspirations of their communities.
Among the featured festivals are the Baltimore Irish Trad Fest in April, Living Traditions Festival in May in Utah, Blackfoot Ranch Rodeo & Indian Relay Races in Idaho in June, G.O.A.T. Picnic in Mississippi in August, Mid-Autumn Festival in Philadelphia in September, Zion Church Blues Festival in Georgia in October and Día de los Muertos by Self Help Graphics in California in November. A complete list of collaborating festivals is below.
In June and July, the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage will also present a slate of spotlight programs in Washington, D.C. At the Smithsonian’s Arts and Industries Building on the National Mall, visitors can explore the Folklife Marketplace, featuring handcrafted items from American artisans and an exhibit of objects and stories from past Folklife Festivals. The building will also host “For the Common Good: Smithsonian Voices on Our Shared Future 250,” a series of conversations with Smithsonian staff, community partners and thought leaders. Additional programs will be announced at a future date.
“The 250th anniversary is a time to celebrate our extraordinary cultural democracy, to visit with the people, places and traditions within it, and to contemplate our shared future,” said Clifford Murphy, director of the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. “By taking the Folklife Festival beyond Washington, we recommit to our original purpose to take the Smithsonian beyond objects and buildings; we also carry out our mission to connect communities across cultures—cultivating curiosity, understanding and belonging for all people.”
“To mark the bicentennial in 1976, the Smithsonian invited the country to the National Mall for a three-month Festival of American Folklife beginning a 50-year tradition,” said Festival Director Sabrina Lynn Motley. “For the 250th, we’re going to communities to celebrate the nation’s remarkable cultural landscape, as well as the creativity of everyday life. Doing so allows us to carry the Folklife Festival’s legacy forward as we approach our own 60th anniversary in 2027.”
“Of the People” received support from the Smithsonian’s “Our Shared Future: 250,” a Smithsonian-wide initiative commemorating the nation’s 250th. Major support for the “Our Shared Future: 250” has been provided by Lilly Endowment Inc. Additional contributions have been made by Target.
The following festivals will collaborate with the Smithsonian for 2026:
- Baltimore Irish Trad Fest, Baltimore, Thursday–Sunday, April 9–12
- Celebrate Micronesia, Honolulu, Saturday, April 25
- Living Traditions Festival, Salt Lake City, Friday–Sunday, May 15–17
- Northwest Folklife Festival, Seattle, Friday–Monday, May 22–25
- Sealaska Heritage Institute Celebration, Juneau, Alaska, Wednesday–Saturday, June 3–6
- Fiddle and Fork by Blue Ridge Music Center, Galax, Virginia, Friday–Sunday, June 12–14
- ROMP Bluegrass Festival, Owensboro, Kentucky, Wednesday–Saturday, June 24–27
- Blackfoot Ranch Rodeo & Indian Relay Races, Blackfoot, Idaho, Thursday–Saturday,
June 25–27 - Arkansas Folklife Festival, North Little Rock, Arkansas, Friday–Sunday, June 26–28
- Dawnland Festival of Arts and Ideas by Abbe Museum, Bar Harbor, Maine, Saturday–Sunday, July 11–12
- Obon Festival at New York Buddhist Church, New York City, Sunday, July 12
- Concert of Colors, Detroit, Wednesday–Sunday, July 15–19
- Agua, Sol Y Sereno, Loíza, Puerto Rico, Monday–Monday, July 20–27
- Menominee Pageant, Shawano, Wisconsin, Wednesday, July 29
- All My Relations, Denver, Sunday, Aug. 9
- Montclair Jazz Festival, Montclair, New Jersey, Saturday, Aug. 15 (Sound Check series Tuesday, June 16; Wednesday, July 1; Tuesday, July 14; Tuesday, July 28; Tuesday, Aug. 4)
- August Quarterly Festival, Wilmington, Delaware, Sunday–Sunday, Aug. 23–30
- G.O.A.T. Picnic, Coldwater, Mississippi, Friday–Saturday, Aug. 28–29
- All My Relatives, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Saturday, Aug. 29
- Black Rock City, Gerlach, Nevada, Sunday–Monday, Aug. 30–Sept. 7
- Farm Aid, location TBA, Saturday, Sept. 26
- Mid-Autumn Festival, Philadelphia, Saturday, Sept. 26
- The Great Valley Gathering, Fresno, California, Friday–Sunday, Oct. 2–4
- Homecoming at Morgan State University, Baltimore, Sunday–Saturday, Oct. 4–10
- Festivals Acadiens et Créoles, Lafayette, Louisiana, Friday–Sunday, Oct. 9–11
- Exposure by Exposure Skate, Encinitas, California, Saturday–Sunday, Oct. 10–11
- Tucson Meet Yourself, Tucson, Arizona, Friday–Sunday, Oct. 16–18
- People’s Poetry Gathering, New York City, Saturday–Sunday, Oct. 24–Nov. 1
- Zion Church Blues Festival, Talbotton, Georgia, Saturday, Oct. 24
- Día de los Muertos by Self Help Graphics, East Los Angeles, Saturday, Nov. 7
- Festival of Faiths, Louisville, Kentucky, Wednesday–Friday, Nov. 11–13
- National Folk Festival, Jackson, Mississippi, Friday–Sunday, Nov. 13–15
Two festivals have already happened: Fort Worth African American Roots Music Festival, March 20–21, and the Commonwealth Jubilee: A Celebration of Unity and Heritage, Saipan in the Northern Mariana Islands, March 22–24.
About the Smithsonian
Since its founding in 1846, the Smithsonian Institution has been committed to inspiring generations through knowledge and discovery. It is the world’s largest museum, education and research complex, consisting of 21 museums, the National Zoological Park, education centers, research facilities, cultural centers, libraries and gardens. Two of the 21 museums—the National Museum of the American Latino and the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum—are in the early planning stages. The total number of objects, works of art and specimens at the Smithsonian is about 157 million. To commemorate America’s 250th anniversary, the Smithsonian is hosting a full slate of special exhibitions, festivals and public events, including the completion of the National Air and Space Museum’s renovation, which opened to the public 50 years ago for the nation’s bicentennial.
About the Smithsonian Folklife Festival
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, the festival has featured participants from all 50 states, every U.S. territory and more than 100 countries. Follow the festival on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.