The 2023 Smithsonian Folklife Festival will be held on the National Mall in Washington DC from Wednesday, June 28th through Sunday, July 9th. 

Two main programs are being planned for the 2023 Festival:

1. Creative Encounters: Living Religions in the U.S.
2. The Ozarks: Faces and Facets of a Region

The Ozarks Program is being organized around four basic themes:

• Celebrations and Gatherings 

• Stories, Sounds, and Show Business 

• Migrations, Movements, and Pathways  

• Connections to Land and Place 

Here are some updates on progress in planning this massive event:

• Selection of Presenters: A group of presenters of various facets of Ozarks folklife will spend two weeks in DC. Musicians, singers, artisans, craftspeople, cooks, gardeners, and foragers are just some of the nearly 100 people who will represent the various facets of folklife in the Ozarks. Several committees, as well as groups of experts, are working on various facets of the presentation programs. We also are working on an open call for individuals and groups interested in potentially presenting at the festival. That call for interest will be made public soon. 
  
  
• Sponsorships and Fundraising: Conversations continue with numerous public and private organizations, as well as with individuals, to raise the funds needed to present this program. Sponsorship opportunities begin at $10,000. Most of the funds raised will be used to bring the contingent of approximately 100 to DC — travel, lodging, and food. 

Missouri State University is the principal partner with the Smithsonian Institution in developing this program, in partnership with organizations and individuals throughout the multi-state Ozarks region, including portions of Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Illinois.

For more information about the Ozarks Program at the 2023 Smithsonian Folklife Festival, including sponsorship opportunities, please contact Tom Peters (TPeters@MissouriState.edu or 309-660-3648).