May 28-31, 2010
Seattle Center Campus

Celebrate the diverse cultural heritage of the Pacific Northwest on Memorial Day weekend with music, art and dance at Northwest Folklife Festival. One of the largest free folklife celebrations in North America, the festival hosts more than 7,000 participants in more than 1,000 performances at 27 venues throughout Seattle Center campus. Folklore exhibits, diverse performances, cooking demonstrations, workshops and crafts explore the folk, ethnic and traditional arts of the region. Presented by Northwest Folklife.

Did you know?

The National Heritage Fellowship, presented each year by the National Endowment for the Arts, is the federal government’s highest honor awarded to folk and traditional artists. Vi Hilbert, a member of the Upper Skagit Tribe, received the National Heritage Fellowship in 1994 for her life’s work of preserving the Lushootseed language and culture. Lushootseed was spoken by Chief Seattle, the city’s namesake. Vi Hilbert learned the language and cultural traditions from her parents. She is widely honored as a respected elder, a tribal historian, a linguist, and a storyteller. There are hundreds of wonderful artists at Northwest Folklife each year who want to share their cultures – and some may just be future National Heritage Fellows. Come and celebrate your heritage with us! 

The Festival is free and family friendly.(Suggested donation is $10 per person each day and $20 per family with children each day)

Thanks to our Northwest Folklife Festival sponsors