First presented in St. Louis in 1934, the National Folk Festival is the flagship event of the National Council for the Traditional Arts (NCTA). The festival celebrates the roots, richness, and variety of American culture. Championed in its early years by Eleanor Roosevelt, it was the first event of national stature to present the artistic traditions of all Americans on equal footing. It was also the first to present to the public musical forms such as the blues, Cajun music, polka, Tex-Mex conjunto, Peking Opera, and many others. 

Today, the National is an exuberant traveling festival, produced by the NCTA in partnership with communities around the country—including Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia—that embraces the diverse cultural expressions that define us as a people in the 21st century.

National Folk Festival in downtown Jackson, Mississippi, from State Street to Farish Street and from Pascagoula Street to Mississippi Strip on Friday, November 7-Sunday November 9, 2025.

7:00PM- 9:00 PM | Friday, Saturday, Sunday

All Ages

FREE ADMISSION

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