They all showed off their talents at this year's Smithsonian Folklife Festival. The theme: How youth keep cultural traditions alive.
Folklife stars: Maya artist, Bolivian rappers, Dolly Parton's guitar restorer
They all showed off their talents at this year's Smithsonian Folklife Festival. The theme: How youth keep cultural traditions alive.
n.pr
July 13, 2025 at 8:07 PM
They all showed off their talents at this year's Smithsonian Folklife Festival. The theme: How youth keep cultural traditions alive.
It’s fall, which for centuries has been wild ginseng harvesting season in Appalachia. The American Folklife Center collection includes images of the “ginsenging” tradition in West Virginia. What’s a beloved autumn tradition where you live? https://guides.loc.gov/west-virginia-folklife?loclr=blsky
September 24, 2026 at 4:00 PM
It’s fall, which for centuries has been wild ginseng harvesting season in Appalachia. The American Folklife Center collection includes images of the “ginsenging” tradition in West Virginia. What’s a beloved autumn tradition where you live? https://guides.loc.gov/west-virginia-folklife?loclr=blsky
16/ "[The memorial] allegedly evaded Trump's executive order to halt policies promoting diversity and inclusion." /end
Sources:
🔹 www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2025/...
🔹 blogs.loc.gov/folklife/201...
🔹 web.archive.org/web/20250720...
Sources:
🔹 www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2025/...
🔹 blogs.loc.gov/folklife/201...
🔹 web.archive.org/web/20250720...
November 9, 2025 at 9:23 AM
16/ "[The memorial] allegedly evaded Trump's executive order to halt policies promoting diversity and inclusion." /end
Sources:
🔹 www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2025/...
🔹 blogs.loc.gov/folklife/201...
🔹 web.archive.org/web/20250720...
Sources:
🔹 www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2025/...
🔹 blogs.loc.gov/folklife/201...
🔹 web.archive.org/web/20250720...
anyway it’s the 50th anniversary of the American Folklife Center where she’s on the board and all good stuff
September 18, 2026 at 12:51 AM
anyway it’s the 50th anniversary of the American Folklife Center where she’s on the board and all good stuff
The Folklife Festival was planned by the Smithsonian, funded by private donors and would have happened this week, but Trump shut it down.
June 28, 2026 at 12:49 PM
The Folklife Festival was planned by the Smithsonian, funded by private donors and would have happened this week, but Trump shut it down.
Article about what happened:
blogs.loc.gov/folklife/201...
blogs.loc.gov/folklife/201...
May 7, 2026 at 10:34 PM
Article about what happened:
blogs.loc.gov/folklife/201...
blogs.loc.gov/folklife/201...
Also contrast crowds for the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, which was booted off the mall to make room for this.
Photos: 50 years of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival | National Mall Coalition
A pictorial history of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the National Mall that celebrates 50 years of Folklife in 2017.
www.nationalmallcoalition.org
June 28, 2026 at 12:24 PM
Also contrast crowds for the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, which was booted off the mall to make room for this.
Also, there was the Festival of American Folklife that was reportedly seen by 4.5 million people over the summer. Don't think the state fair is going to do those numbers.
June 27, 2026 at 1:02 AM
Also, there was the Festival of American Folklife that was reportedly seen by 4.5 million people over the summer. Don't think the state fair is going to do those numbers.
Guys just mute Stancil if you hate him so much it’s really not healthy to give this much of a shit about the nuances of coffee shops vs cafes. But if you’re gonna argue please at least read some history rather than vibes
blogs.loc.gov/folklife/201...
blogs.loc.gov/folklife/201...
Coffeehouses: Folk Music, Culture, and Counterculture | Folklife Today
The following is a guest post by Nancy Groce, Senior Folklife Specialist at the American Folklife Center. It originated as opening remarks for the forum Coffeehouses: Folk Music, Culture, and Counter...
blogs.loc.gov
January 7, 2025 at 2:15 AM
Guys just mute Stancil if you hate him so much it’s really not healthy to give this much of a shit about the nuances of coffee shops vs cafes. But if you’re gonna argue please at least read some history rather than vibes
blogs.loc.gov/folklife/201...
blogs.loc.gov/folklife/201...
live from Smithsonian Folklife Festival
June 29, 2024 at 12:50 AM
live from Smithsonian Folklife Festival
“You Are Loved” #Pride themed street art on the Bynum Bridge, Bynum NC, April 20, 2026. Since closing to vehicular traffic, the historic bridge is open to pedestrians and has become a popular spot for graffiti, walkers and birdwatchers. DK Thompson Collection/Southern Folklife Collection/UNC-CH
June 7, 2026 at 3:27 PM
“You Are Loved” #Pride themed street art on the Bynum Bridge, Bynum NC, April 20, 2026. Since closing to vehicular traffic, the historic bridge is open to pedestrians and has become a popular spot for graffiti, walkers and birdwatchers. DK Thompson Collection/Southern Folklife Collection/UNC-CH
Mixed color from #Lights on parking deck, end of Lane Street, Raleigh NC, March 2024. #BlueSkyArtShow - DK Thompson Collection/Southern Folklife Collection/UNC-CH
September 26, 2026 at 2:49 PM
Mixed color from #Lights on parking deck, end of Lane Street, Raleigh NC, March 2024. #BlueSkyArtShow - DK Thompson Collection/Southern Folklife Collection/UNC-CH
#Lights of red, green and yellow - symbolizing colors for Black History Month - illuminate Memorial Auditorium in downtown Raleigh NC, Feb. 2024. #BlueSkyArtShow DK Thompson Collection/Southern Folklife Collection/UNC-CH
September 26, 2026 at 2:47 PM
#Lights of red, green and yellow - symbolizing colors for Black History Month - illuminate Memorial Auditorium in downtown Raleigh NC, Feb. 2024. #BlueSkyArtShow DK Thompson Collection/Southern Folklife Collection/UNC-CH
Learn more about the American Folklife Center and what is in store for its 50th anniversary: blogs.loc.gov/folklife/202...
The American Folklife Center Turns 50 Today | Folklife Today
The American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress (AFC) turns 50 today, January 2, 2026. To mark the occasion, AFC will sponsor public programs, special events, and other activities throughout t...
blogs.loc.gov
January 20, 2026 at 7:05 PM
Learn more about the American Folklife Center and what is in store for its 50th anniversary: blogs.loc.gov/folklife/202...
I went to Folklife today and had a lovely time.
May 25, 2026 at 6:33 AM
I went to Folklife today and had a lovely time.
#Pride protest sign at the “No Kings” rally, State Capitol grounds, Raleigh NC, Feb. 5, 2025. DK Thompson Collection/Southern Folklife Collection/UNC-CH
June 22, 2026 at 3:06 PM
#Pride protest sign at the “No Kings” rally, State Capitol grounds, Raleigh NC, Feb. 5, 2025. DK Thompson Collection/Southern Folklife Collection/UNC-CH
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November is Native American Heritage Month
Native Americans have Served America in every major conflict and at the highest rates of any population.
blogs.loc.gov/folklife/202...
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November is Native American Heritage Month
Native Americans have Served America in every major conflict and at the highest rates of any population.
blogs.loc.gov/folklife/202...
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November 13, 2024 at 11:09 PM
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November is Native American Heritage Month
Native Americans have Served America in every major conflict and at the highest rates of any population.
blogs.loc.gov/folklife/202...
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November is Native American Heritage Month
Native Americans have Served America in every major conflict and at the highest rates of any population.
blogs.loc.gov/folklife/202...
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This photo comes from a cultural research survey conducted in Chicago in 1977 by the American Folklife Center, which documented more than 20 communities there. Many similar surveys in the collection feature photos like this one.
Explore, and prepare to be hungry: blogs.loc.gov/folklife/202...
Explore, and prepare to be hungry: blogs.loc.gov/folklife/202...
Food on the Go | Folklife Today
Explore the tasty world of food trucks, farm stands, and other street food options through selections from the American Folklife Center's archive.
blogs.loc.gov
April 3, 2026 at 6:49 PM
This photo comes from a cultural research survey conducted in Chicago in 1977 by the American Folklife Center, which documented more than 20 communities there. Many similar surveys in the collection feature photos like this one.
Explore, and prepare to be hungry: blogs.loc.gov/folklife/202...
Explore, and prepare to be hungry: blogs.loc.gov/folklife/202...
Folklife = FOOD. 🌭 Part of the mission of the Library's American Folklife Center is to document and share living cultural traditions. And that includes food trucks, food stalls and other eateries that may not be brick-and-mortar, but are still part of the fabric of their respective communities. 🧵
April 3, 2026 at 6:47 PM
Folklife = FOOD. 🌭 Part of the mission of the Library's American Folklife Center is to document and share living cultural traditions. And that includes food trucks, food stalls and other eateries that may not be brick-and-mortar, but are still part of the fabric of their respective communities. 🧵
The Smithsonian Folklife Festival draws 3X this many people to the National Mall.
June 14, 2025 at 10:57 PM
The Smithsonian Folklife Festival draws 3X this many people to the National Mall.
proof of musicological activity
July 22, 2026 at 1:07 AM
proof of musicological activity
The Zuni Olla Maidens are all part of the same family, passing the pots from one generation to the next. They perform while balancing pots, called olla, on their heads. The dance honors their female ancestors, who used similar vessels to carry water.
#NewMexico #heritage #culture #Ashiwi #Zuni
#NewMexico #heritage #culture #Ashiwi #Zuni
Zuni Olla Maidens – Pottery Dance (2024 Smithsonian Folklife Festival)
YouTube video by Smithsonian Folklife
youtu.be
February 15, 2025 at 7:38 PM
The Zuni Olla Maidens are all part of the same family, passing the pots from one generation to the next. They perform while balancing pots, called olla, on their heads. The dance honors their female ancestors, who used similar vessels to carry water.
#NewMexico #heritage #culture #Ashiwi #Zuni
#NewMexico #heritage #culture #Ashiwi #Zuni
#openings under the Beryl Road overpass, Raleigh NC, June 13, 2024. DK Thompson Collection/Southern Folklife Collection/UNC-CH #BlueSkyArtShow
April 4, 2026 at 1:38 PM
#openings under the Beryl Road overpass, Raleigh NC, June 13, 2024. DK Thompson Collection/Southern Folklife Collection/UNC-CH #BlueSkyArtShow