Since its founding in 1967, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival has helped thousands of traditional artists and musicians from around the globe by selling their arts, crafts, and music in its Marketplace tent. The size and location of the Marketplace may change from year to year, but its mission remains the same: to honor and support the Festival's participants, many of whom lack other outlets for sharing the beautiful work they create.

In 2010, the Festival Marketplace--located adjacent to the Freer Gallery of Art--is offering for sale approximately thirty thousand objects of cultural, aesthetic, and educational significance. Moreover, many of the artists and musicians whose work is featured there will also be demonstrating and performing at the Festival. The opportunity to meet the artists and to learn more about their cultural traditions by watching them work or perform is one of the primary benefits of attending the Smithsonian Folklife Festival.

For example, coming from Haiti to the Festival Marketplace