The Arkansas Folklife Festival is a free, statewide celebration of the living traditions that shape Arkansas through music, dance, foodways, craft, storytelling, and community culture. Held June 26–28, 2026, at Riverfront Park in North Little Rock, the festival brings together artists, musicians, cooks, makers, and tradition-bearers from across Arkansas’s six culturesheds for a weekend of performances, demonstrations, workshops, family activities, and shared cultural experiences.

The inaugural festival will feature headline performances by blues legend Bobby Rush and acclaimed singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams, alongside traditional and contemporary artists from across Arkansas and the South.

Part of the Smithsonian’s “Of the People: The Festival of Festivals” initiative during America’s 250th anniversary year, the Arkansas Folklife Festival is proudly positioned as “The People’s 250” — a community-centered celebration of the stories, traditions, and creativity that connect Arkansans across generations and regions. Admission is free and open to the public. Learn more at arkansasfolklifefestival.org.