The Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage is a research center of the Smithsonian Institution.
Our mission is to connect communities across cultures—cultivating curiosity, understanding, and belonging for all people.
Culture
Folklife Festival
Every summer since 1967, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival brings together artisans, musicians, cooks, and storytellers from around the world on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. In 2025, the Festival presented the program Youth and the Future of Culture, July 2–7.
Smithsonian Folkways
Smithsonian Folkways Recordings is the institution’s nonprofit record label, representing the collections and productions of nearly two dozen companies and organizations, documenting the diversity of the world’s musical and spoken-word heritage and creativity.
New Releases
King of Louisiana Blues and Zydeco
Clifton Chenier
A Piece of Infinity
Meklit
Zydeco Sont Pas Salés
Clifton Chenier, The Rolling Stones
Songs for Summer
Little Folkies
Remains to Be Scene
The Seldom Scene
Cultural Vitality
The Cultural Vitality Program works collaboratively with communities around the world to support the sustainability of homegrown forms of cultural and artistic production, especially in the areas of language, Indigenous culture, and craft.
Featured Initiatives
Rinzler Archives
As a public resource, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections is home to hundreds of thousands of videos, films, photographs, sound recordings, and field reports that document cultural traditions, maintained with a commitment to digital accessibility and shared stewardship.
Research
Our research is grounded in a community-oriented approach, shaping the rich programming of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival and the Mother Tongue Film Festival, the releases of Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, and our Cultural Sustainability initiatives. Our curators and scholars, drawn from folklore, anthropology, ethnomusicology, and a broad range of cultural studies, are distinguished in their practice of collaborative research and representation.
Educational Resources
Over decades of research and production, we have created educational materials for cultural professionals, educators, and casual learners, including lessons plans, documentation handbooks, learning guides, and online exhibitions.
Folklife Magazine
Folklife Magazine explores how culture shapes our lives. We publish stories about music, food, craft, language, celebrations, activism, and the individuals and communities who sustain these traditions.
