Smithsonian Center for Folklife & Cultural Heritage | smithsonianmag.comhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/rss/blog/smithsonian-center-folklife-cultural-heritage/RSS feed for Smithsonian Center for Folklife & Cultural HeritageenWed, 23 Sep 2026 17:26:49 +0000At the Mid-Autumn Festival, Philadelphia's Chinatown Is 'Building the World We Want'https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-center-folklife-cultural-heritage/2026/09/23/mid-autumn-festival-philadelphia-chinatown/The Chinese festival centers around the moon, historically as a religious practice in worshipping the moon goddess, Chang'e. In this Chinese American community, it has grown to become a source of agency and advocacyWed, 23 Sep 2026 17:26:49 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-center-folklife-cultural-heritage/2026/09/23/mid-autumn-festival-philadelphia-chinatown/Let’s Clown Around! The Circus Comes to the Smithsonian This Labor Day Weekendhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-center-folklife-cultural-heritage/2026/08/28/circus-smithsonian-labor-day-weekend/Artists from the Circus Arts Conservatory bring the artistry, education and labor of this uniquely American art form to the national museumFri, 28 Aug 2026 16:00:00 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-center-folklife-cultural-heritage/2026/08/28/circus-smithsonian-labor-day-weekend/These Photos Visualize the Legacy of Peter Spencer, Founder of America’s First Independent Black Churchhttps://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-center-folklife-cultural-heritage/2026/08/21/peter-spencer-black-church/The church was home to the August Quarterly Festival, still running 212 years later and collaborating this year with the Smithsonian Folklife Festival to honor the nation’s 250th anniversary.Fri, 21 Aug 2026 17:10:39 +0000https://www.smithsonianmag.com/blogs/smithsonian-center-folklife-cultural-heritage/2026/08/21/peter-spencer-black-church/