Watch highlights from the performance in the Festival’s Big Top and hear Dolly Jacobs explain her journey into the circus world.

For Sanjana Quasem, there are no set markers that delineate between her American and Muslim identities. These angles reflect off each other, creating a kaleidoscope of memory and feeling.

See a video of this super group team playing Irish American music of the Mid-Atlantic region at the 2017 Folklife Festival.

Capping off the first night of Reunion Weekend, son huasteco musician Artemio Posadas brought the spirit of northeastern Mexico to the National Mall.

Watch a video of Listo Trapèze Volant, an aerialist team formed specifically for the Smithsonian Folklife Festival to showcase some of the best flying trapeze artists from around the world.

As people migrate, they take their music with them. The sound of the accordion, a traditional European instrument, has traveled the world and been incorporated into the Cajun music of BeauSoleil and conjunto music of Los Texmaniacs.

When I think of Hawaiian music, I first think of the ukulele, but slack-key guitar is just as uniquely Hawaiian. Ledward “Led” Kaapana is a ukulele virtuoso, but to my ear, he shines brightest when playing slack-key guitar.

“Poetry is all about love, ultimately. And we need poems like we need as much love as possible.”

On the Folklife Festival’s 50th anniversary, one thing I’ve learned is that milestones are tricky business. They simultaneously fill you with a soaring sense of pride and the overwhelming reality of how much more there is to do.

Husband and wife Mark Jaster and Sabrina Mandell started the troupe in 2006. Their house, tucked away among the trees, is half living space and half composing space.