Features

The National begins its residency in Jackson from November 7-9, 2025. Performers represent a wide variety of traditions, from bluegrass to go-go to flamenco, and more.  The National Folk Festival announced today the first group of artists who will be performing at the 82nd National Folk Festival in downtown Jackson from November 7-9, 2025. This year’s festival marks the first …

The NCTA experienced a banner year across all of our longstanding programs in 2024. Over half a million people attended our festivals, and artists representing nearly 100 cultural traditions appeared at our events. We were proud to create, renew, and maintain relationships with community partners across the country. Browse the 2024 Annual Report to see highlights from our programs, and …

The nation’s longest-running traditional arts event is coming to downtown Jackson. Jackson, MS — The National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA) is excited to announce that Jackson has been named the official 2025-2027 National Folk Festival Host City. Jackson was among 42 cities nationwide that competed for the honor of hosting the nation’s preeminent traveling celebration of traditional arts …

Festivals & Events In March, we return to Wolf Trap for the first time in several decades, with an evening that spotlights some of southwest Virginia’s best old-time musicians. We are excited to bring Music from the Crooked Road to The Barns at Wolf Trap, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the creation of the Crooked Road—southwest Virginia’s “heritage music trail.” Also this …

In 2023, the NCTA celebrated our 90th anniversary. We are proud that our commitment to celebrating traditional arts remains steadfast. These are the vibrant, varied, living treasures of the American people, and they play a central role in the health of American communities. Just shy of half a million people attended NCTA-affiliated events in 2023! Explore highlights from our year …

Washington, DC—The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) announced today this year’s NEA National Heritage Fellows, recipients of our nation’s highest honor in the folk and traditional arts. Every year since 1982, the NEA has presented this lifetime honor in recognition of individuals whose dedication and artistry contribute to the preservation and growth of the diverse cultural traditions that comprise …

Fall is an exciting time for the NCTA! September is all things National Heritage Fellows—on September 23, find us at the Reston Multicultural Festival, where we have facilitated the involvement of the National Endowment for the Arts’ (NEA) National Heritage Fellows for the past decade. This year’s program includes Wayne Henderson (1995), Roen Hufford (2023), Tsering Wangmo of Chaksam-pa (2022), …

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 …

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 …

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, …