Festival of American Folklife

American Folklife, Festival of

Last weekend in June to first weekend in JulySince 1967 the Festival of American Folklife has been held on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., to celebrate the richness and diversity of American and world cultures. Since that time the Festival has presented more than 15,000 musicians, craftspeople, storytellers, cooks, workers, performers, and other cultural specialists from every region of the United States and from more than 45 other nations. Recent festival programs have included musicians from the former Soviet Union, demonstrations of African-American coil basketry and Italian-American stone-carving, the performance of a Japanese rice-planting ritual, and exhibits illustrating the occupational cultures of working people—taxicab drivers, firefighters, waiters, and railway workers.
The Festival is designed to expose visitors to people and cultures who would not ordinarily be heard in a national setting. It emphasizes folk, tribal, ethnic, and regional traditions in communities throughout the U.S. and abroad. Each year the festival features a particular state (or region) and country. One year, for example, the featured region was "Family Farming in the Heartland." More than 100 farmers from 12 Midwestern states came to the nation's capital to talk to visitors about changes in farming methods and farm life, and to demonstrate both modern and traditional farming skills. The featured country was Indonesia, and there were demonstrations of Buginese boat-building and traditional mask carving, in addition to an all-night Indonesian shadow-puppet show.
CONTACTS:
Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage Capital Gallery
600 Maryland Ave. S.W., Ste. 2001 MRC 520
Washington, D.C. 20024
202-633-6440; fax: 202-633-6474
www.folklife.si.edu
SOURCES:
MusFestAmer-1990, p. 219