About the Festival
About the Arkansas Folklife Festival

The Arkansas Folklife Festival is a statewide celebration of the people, places, and living traditions that shape our shared cultural heritage. Rooted in the belief that everyone has a story worth telling, the festival highlights the everyday artistry, traditions, and lived experiences of communities across Arkansas.

Craftspeople making art
Curated through deep community engagement in each of the state’s six culturesheds—Delta, North Central, Northwest, River Valley, Southwest, and Southeast—the festival centers cultural sustainability and authentic representation. It brings together tradition bearers and changemakers to explore the evolving nature of Arkansas culture, from heirloom seed saving to hip hop, from Ozark square dancing to Delta quilting circles.
Image of a meandering stream
This is not just a festival—it’s a movement. A space for community connection, cultural pride, and intergenerational exchange. Through free public programming, hands-on workshops, storytelling sessions, and performances, the Arkansas Folklife Festival invites participants to experience Arkansas culture as a living, breathing force that honors the past while shaping a collective future.
Image of a square dance with dancers.Image of a quartet of musicians wearing matching suits.Image of a band of acoustic musicians.Image of kids laughing as they are gathered in a circle.A group of people in traditional dress posing holding a picture.Image of two people standing and smiling behind an alcohol still.
Whether you’re here to dance, eat, create, listen, or learn—we welcome you. Let’s celebrate the many ways we belong to Arkansas—and to one another.
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This is your festival. Let’s build it together.
Arkansas Folklife Festival
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