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Folk Tales

Folk Tales

Written by: Smithsonian Folklife
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About this listen

Since 1967, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival has illuminated culture and amplified voices from around the world. Folk Tales extends the Festival’s storytelling beyond the National Mall and into your headphones. The podcast foregrounds the experiences and passions of Festival participants while also bringing forward voices rarely heard by the public: curators, assistants, and other collaborators working behind the scenes.

Smithsonian Art Social Sciences
Episodes
  • It Takes a Village

    It Takes a Village
    Apr 8 2026

    The Festival doesn’t appear by magic—it’s built by a vast network of staff, interns, volunteers, and collaborators. This episode reveals what it takes to create a temporary city on the National Mall each summer.

    Featured staff: Tori Baker, Jocelyn Callister, Kate Haas, Tyler Nelson, Diane Nutting, Arlene Reiniger, Sarah Roffman

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    18 mins
  • Learning Together

    Learning Together
    Apr 8 2026

    Outside of classrooms and apprenticeships, families and communities pass on cultural knowledge in their daily and social lives. Curator Rebecca Fenton highlights youth learning skills like weaving and saddlery from parents, elders, and mentors.

    Featured participants: Chase Carter, Whitley Carter, Ava Delgado, Manuel Delgado, Evelyn Morán Cojoc, Anna Severe, Hta Thi Yu Moo Selvin Vail Diaz

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    23 mins
  • Foodways

    Foodways
    Apr 8 2026

    Food carries memory, identity, and community. In the Foodways demonstration kitchen, participants share family recipes and culinary traditions. Program coordinator Lirit Gilmore introduces the people and stories behind the meals.

    Featured participants: Checo Alonso, Ava Delgado, Manuel Delgado, DJ Special Berriez, Kim Akers Thomas

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    26 mins
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