News & Updates

Throughout 2023 the National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA) is commemorating its 90th anniversary—and we are thrilled to announce 90 Years , a campaign that celebrates the NCTA and its contributions to the nation for the past nine decades. We ask that you join us in marking this achievement, and supporting our work in future decades, through this special 90 Years giving campaign! For 90 Years, the NCTA has focused on the commitment to the presentation of those art

The NCTA and our various partners are thrilled to share a first glimpse of our 2023 season with you—a look ahead at the year in traditional arts! We are excited to return once again this summer and fall to our thriving legacy festival communities in Montana, Massachusetts, and Virginia. In September, National Endowment for the Arts' (NEA) National Heritage Fellows travel to Washington, D.C., for honorific events and activities. And throughout the year, our exciting new prog

Announcing a special evening honoring National Heritage Fellow Yary Livan at Lowell National Historical Park MEDIA RELEASE DATE: Feb 16, 2023 CONTACT: nationaltreasures@ncta-usa.org SILVER SPRING, MD – The National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA) is pleased to announce a special evening program honoring 2015 National Heritage Fellow and ceramicist Yary Livan at Lowell National Historical Park (LNHP) on Saturday, April 1, 2023. The NCTA and LNHP are presenting this N

2022 was a time of celebration and success as the National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA) marked a return to a full programming schedule since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thank you for another year of supporting the oldest folk arts organization in the nation. This year marks the 90th birthday of NCTA! Our founder Sarah Gertrude Knott presented the first National Folk Festival in 1934 as a way to celebrate America's cultural diversity and to bring people to

Announcing MEDIA RELEASE DATE: January 12, 2023 CONTACT: nationaltreasures@ncta-usa.org SILVER SPRING, MD – The National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA) is proud to announce to take place March 7-11, 2023. This series is part of NCTA’s program, which showcases some of the nation's most distinguished cultural ambassadors—National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) National Heritage Fellows and their collaborators—and illustrates their connections to signature places withi

One new full-time staff position has been posted. A detailed description is available on our employment opportunities page.

Washington, DC — The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), in partnership with the National Council for the Traditional Arts, is pleased to present the film Roots of American Culture: A Cross-Country Visit with Living Treasures of the Folk and Traditional Arts , premiering on arts.gov/heritage on Thursday, November 17th at 8:00pm ET.  Hosted by NEA Chair Maria Rosario Jackson, PhD, the film will explore the lives and work of the 2022 NEA National Heritage Fellows , recipien

Curtains Close on Final National Folk Festival in Salisbury, MD Salisbury, MD –The City of Salisbury and the National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA) are proud to announce the final attendance estimates for the multi-year residency of the National Folk Festival in Salisbury, MD. Through five years of partnership from 2018 to 2022, including four in-person presentations of the festival, more than 400,000 people visited Downtown Salisbury to attend the event.  “Never in

The Richmond Folk Festival has announced the full artistic program and performance schedule for the 2022 festival, marking the 18th anniversary of this joyful event. The festival draws attendees each year to downtown Richmond’s riverfront to celebrate the roots, richness, and variety of American culture through music, dance, traditional crafts, storytelling, and food. The free, three-day event hosts 200,000 people over the weekend and is produced by Venture Richmond Events in

Phil Wiggins, arguably America's foremost blues harmonica virtuoso, passed away on May 7, 2024, a day shy of his 70th birthday. His history with the NCTA goes back decades as a frequent performer at our festivals, a valued collaborator on many tours, and later, a board member for many years. His kindness was felt by so many of us, and his death is a huge loss to our community. We will miss Phil dearly. Phil Wiggins was a master of the unique blues traditions of the Piedmont.

MEDIA RELEASE DATE: July 20, 2022 CONTACT :  Caroline O’Hare, National Folk Festival Local Manager / nff@ncta-usa.org 81 st National Folk Festival Releases Performance Schedule and Map SALISBURY, MD – Today festival organizers released the full performance schedule for the 81 st National Folk Festival. Additionally, the festival map has also been revealed. Make your plans now to attend the National Folk Festival in Salisbury, August 26-28, 2022; featuring nonstop music, dan

MEDIA RELEASE DATE: June 14, 2022 CONTACT: Caroline O’Hare, National Folk Festival Local Manager / nff@ncta-usa.org Announcing the Maryland Traditions Folklife Area Program at the 81st National Folk Festival SALISBURY, MD (June 14, 2022) – Today, the 81 st  National Folk Festival announced the  Maryland Traditions Folklife Area & Stage  program, sharing details about the performers, craftspeople, and demonstrators who will be featured in this special area of the festival in

MEDIA RELEASE DATE:  June 7, 2022 CONTACT: nationaltreasures@ncta-usa.org SILVER SPRING, MD – The National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA) is proud to announce the launch of . A pilot program of the 2026 United States Semiquincentennial in collaboration with the National Park Service (NPS) , showcases the nation’s most distinguished cultural ambassadors at signature National Parks throughout the American landscape. The program features recipients of the National Endo

MEDIA RELEASE DATE:  May 17, 2022 CONTACT :  Caroline O’Hare, National Folk Festival Local Manager / nff@ncta-usa.org More Performers Announced for 81st National Folk Festival SALISBURY, MD (May 17, 2022) – The 81st National Folk Festival is excited to reveal several more performers who will be sure to enchant and delight attendees in Downtown Salisbury, MD, this August 26-28, 2022. This year’s festival will mark the final year of the event’s residency. In 2023, the festival

MEDIA RELEASE DATE: April 5, 2022 CONTACT: Caroline O’Hare, National Folk Festival Local Manager / nff@ncta-usa.org Next Five Performers Revealed for 81st National Folk Festival SALISBURY, MD (April 5, 2022) – The National Folk Festival has announced the next five artists who will perform live and for free in Downtown Salisbury, August 26-28, 2022. The 81st National Folk Festival in 2022 moves to a new weekend in August and will mark the final year of the event’s residency.

The NCTA and our many various partners are thrilled to welcome you to our 2022 season with a first glimpse at the year ahead in traditional arts! With excitement, as well as an abundance of care, we’re continuing to take precautions to ensure everyone can safely enjoy everything our in-person festival experiences have to offer this year. Please take a moment to Save the Date and make a drop in the festival buckets. Thanks for your goodwill and generosity to the communities th

MEDIA RELEASE DATE:  March 1, 2022 CONTACT :  Caroline O’Hare, National Folk Festival Local Manager / cohare@salisbury.md First Six Performers Announced for 81st National Folk Festival SALISBURY, MD (March 1, 2022) – Today the National Folk Festival revealed the first six performers who will take the stage in Downtown Salisbury, August 26-28, 2022. The 81st National Folk Festival in 2022 moves to a new weekend in August and marks the final year of the event’s residency. In 20

DATE : Thursday, January 27, 2022 CONTACT : Lora Bottinelli, Executive Director, media@ncta-usa.org Silver Spring, MD — National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA) is pleased to announce they have been approved to receive an American Rescue Plan (ARP) grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) to help the arts and cultural sector recover from the pandemic. NCTA is recommended to receive $150,000 and may use this funding to save jobs that directly support its 2

The year 2021 has been a time of transformation, resilience, and celebration for the National Council for the Traditional Arts and our partners. Thank you for another year of supporting the oldest folk arts organization in the nation. Read more here.

November 5, 2021 New Orleans, La.  – Today the National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA), the National Park Service, and Jean Lafitte National Historical Park & Preserve released a new episode in an ongoing collaborative documentary series featuring Louisiana lifeways. This series of short documentary films follows Cajun musicians and cultural advocates Joel Savoy and Jo Vidrine as they journey through the region’s cherished traditions that have been passed down from g