National
Folk
Festival
About the National Folk Festival
First presented in St. Louis in 1934, the National Folk Festival is the flagship event of the National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA). The festival celebrates the roots, richness, and variety of American culture. Championed in its early years by Eleanor Roosevelt, it was the first event of national stature to present the artistic traditions of all Americans on equal footing. It was also the first to present to the public musical forms such as the blues, Cajun music, polka, Tex-Mex conjunto, Peking Opera, and many others.
Today, the National is an exuberant traveling festival, produced by the NCTA in partnership with communities around the country—including Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. In residence in a host community for three years, it lays the groundwork for a locally produced event that continues after the festival moves on. A "moveable feast of deeply traditional folk arts," the National Folk Festival embraces the many cultural expressions that define us as a people in the 21st century.
November 13 - 15, 2026
Jackson,
Mississippi
2025 - 2027
Meet our
Current Host City
Jackson is the capital of Mississippi and the state’s largest city. Known for world-renowned music traditions rooted in the city’s longstanding African American history, such as blues, gospel, and soul, Jackson played a central role in the civil rights movemnt in the 1950s and '60s. Today the city’s music scene is as dynamic as it has ever been—from blues and soul to country and hip hop, not to mention one of the country’s largest St. Patrick’s Day Parades; the Jackson State University Marching Band, the Sonic Boom of the South; and the International Ballet Competition every four years. In recognition of its rich musical legacy, Jackson has adopted the name the “City with Soul,” an homage to its southern charm as well as its history, cultural heritage, and legacy of artistic excellence.
Jackson, Mississippi, will host the 82nd-84th National Folk Festivals from 2025-2027. The capital city beat out 42 other cities in a nationwide search, and the event highlighs the state's exemplary legacy of arts and culture alongside the country's finest traditional artists. The second year of the National's residency in 2026 will coincide with the semiquincentennial, and the festival will be one of the region's signature events for America250.
FREE to the public, the National Folk Festival will draw over 330,000 visitors to downtown Jackson, generate over $60 million in long-term economic impacts for the city and the region, and lay the groundwork for a locally produced festival to continue after the National’s residency ends.