2023 Smithsonian Folklife Festival Seeks Volunteers

The Smithsonian’s Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage needs volunteers before, during and after the annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival, which will be held on the National Mall June 29 to July 4 and July 6 to July 9.

Visitors to the 2023 Festival will experience this country’s diverse cultural landscape in two featured programs: “The Ozarks: Faces and Facets of a Region” and “Creative Encounters: Living Religions in the U.S.” Most activities will take place on the National Mall between 12th and 14th streets. Daytime programs by musicians, dancers, cooks, artisans, storytellers and others will run from 11 a.m. through 5:30 p.m. On select evenings, special concerts will begin at 6 p.m. Admission to the festival is free and open to the public.

Volunteers with experience in accessibility services and those who speak Hmong, Spanish and Marshallese are especially needed.

More information on volunteer opportunities and applications is available on the Festival website or by contacting Mary Downs at downsme@si.edu and (202) 633-6494 or Charish Bishop at bishopc2@si.edu and (202) 633-6527. 

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 and presented in association with the National Park Service, 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.

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 SI-191-2023