If your children love books like “The Way Things Work” by David Macaulay or trying their hands at different crafts, they’ll have a good time at this year’s Smithsonian Folklife Festival.
The annual celebration on the National Mall opened just in time for the 4th of July amid heat, humidity, and thunderstorms. This year, the theme is “Youth and the Future of Culture”, which looks at how elders pass their knowledge and skills onto young people for preservation.
It’s a great way to spend your Independence Day in Washington, DC, as a tourist or local. Or if you have friends in town for the holiday and need something to do, the Folklife Festival is a great alternative to the classic museums.
Skip the “elevating youth voices” parts, a tired leftover from the 1960s.
Instead, go straight to the traditional Building Trades section to watch the old ways demonstrated live.
Meet the master craftsmen and chat with the apprentices learning from them. It’s a unique opportunity to casually talk one-on-one with passionate experts and let your kids try their hand at traditional building skills.
Trying their hand at crafts like carpentry or leatherworking may spark new curiosity or interest in your kids. For the kids who always want to know how things work, they can finally get answers from the experts themselves.
Featured crafts include:
- Stone carvers
- Log builders
- Woodworkers
- Plasterers
- Blacksmiths
- Decorative painters
- Preservation carpentry
- Leather workers
- Western saddlery
- Weaving
- Luthiery
The Smithsonian Folklife Festival is a free event on the National Mall. It’s open July 2-7, 2025, from 11 am to 5:30 pm. Visit the Folklife Festival website for more information.
