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Washington, DC— The National Endowment for the Arts, in partnership with the National Council for the Traditional Arts, will present “The Culture of America: A Cross-Country Visit with the National Endowment for the Arts National Heritage Fellows,” on March 4, 2021 at 8:00 pm ET. Join storyteller Queen Nur as she hosts a virtual trip across the country, taking viewers ... Read More »

December 4, 2020 Dear Friend of the NCTA, We know that 2020 has brought unprecedented challenges, opportunities, and needs within the communities the National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA) serves. For NCTA, we are proud of our ability to respond and regroup, which resulted in a first in our history—an entirely virtual year of programming that celebrated, honored, and amplified ... Read More »

November 16, 2020 New Orleans, La. – Today the National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA), the National Park Service, and Jean Lafitte National Historical Park & Preserve announced a new collaborative documentary project, Bayous & Backroads: A Look Inside Louisiana’s Lifeways. This new series of short documentary films follows Cajun musicians and cultural advocates Joel Savoy and Jo Vidrine ... Read More »

The Richmond Folk Festival will celebrate its 16th anniversary the weekend of October 9-11 with a “virtual” event that will bring together the community through a special television program on VPM PBS Plus Channel 57.1, radio broadcasts on VPM Music (107.3 FM & 93.1 FM), and online streaming on the festival website, Facebook page, and YouTube channel. The virtual celebration ... Read More »

Join us on Saturday and Sunday via radio or online for a robust weekend of programming and other special offerings! View the schedule, get the details on where to watch, and read about all of the exciting artists and activities on the National Folk Festival website. Read More »

Today, the National Folk Festival announced plans for a virtual celebration on the weekend of September 12-13. The longest-running multicultural celebration of the finest folk and traditional artists in the United States, each year the National features over 350 artists—musicians, dancers, storytellers, and craftspeople—with more than 35 different groups performing on the festival’s seven outdoor stages. Last year, the 79th ... Read More »

Special Video Celebration of the Lowell Folk Festival: Saturday, July 25 Held in the streets of Lowell, MA for 33 years, the Lowell Folk Festival brings together tens of thousands of people in celebration of the richness of American culture and the unique spirit of the Lowell community. The festival was cancelled earlier this year due to state and local ... Read More »

The National Endowment for the Arts announced the 2020 NEA National Heritage Fellows, recipients of the nation’s highest honor in the folk and traditional arts. These lifetime honor awards of $25,000 are given in recognition of both artistic excellence and efforts to sustain cultural traditions for future generations. The annual celebration of the new class of National Heritage Fellows will ... Read More »

A joint statement from Mayor Jake Day, City of Salisbury, and Lora Bottinelli, executive director, National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA) The National Folk Festival is an event that fosters the well-being of community through vibrant cultural exchange and the joyous gathering of tens of thousands of people from across the country in celebration of the richness of American ... Read More »

2019 NCTA Annual Report Read More »