Smithsonian Folklife Festival

The Smithsonian Folklife Festival is an international exposition of living cultural heritage annually produced outdoors on the National Mall by the Smithsonian Institution’s Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. The festival takes place over two weeks overlapping the Fourth of July holidays and typically focusses on traditions and culture of one to four countries or regions. Free concerts are held in the evenings. Over the years, it has brought more than 23,000 musicians, artists, performers, craftspeople, workers, cooks, storytellers  and others to the National Mall to demonstrate the skills, knowledge, and aesthetics that embody the creative vitality of community-based traditions. Free concerts are held in the evenings.