America 250: The Smithsonian Comes to You

For most of its history, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival has meant a trip to the National Mall in Washington, D.C.

For America’s 250th birthday, the Smithsonian is taking the celebration on the road.

In 2026, the Smithsonian is partnering with more than 30 local festivals in communities across the country and three U.S. territories. The traveling effort, called “Of the People: The Smithsonian Festival of Festivals,” is planned to run from March through November as part of the nation’s semiquincentennial celebration.

It marks the first time the Smithsonian Folklife Festival has gone national in this way.

Instead of asking everyone to come to Washington, the Smithsonian is bringing its storytelling, music, foodways, crafts, and cultural traditions to communities where those traditions are already alive. The goal is to highlight the people and places that make up the country’s shared story.

One summer stop is the Blackfoot Ranch Rodeo and Indian Relay Races in Idaho, scheduled for June 25-27. Additional events are expected to continue through the fall, giving families across the country a chance to take part in Smithsonian programming without traveling to the capital.

Back in Washington, the Smithsonian is also marking the anniversary in a major way.

The National Museum of American History opened “In Pursuit of Life, Liberty & Happiness” on May 14. The exhibition spans all three floors of the museum and features 250 significant objects from American history. Among them is the desk Thomas Jefferson used to draft the Declaration of Independence.

The Smithsonian Castle is also part of the anniversary year. The landmark building is undergoing its first major renovation in more than 50 years, but construction is pausing so the Castle can reopen from Memorial Day through Labor Day. Inside, visitors will find a special exhibition called “American Aspirations,” featuring artifacts that include Harriet Tubman’s hymnal.

The Smithsonian’s theme for the year is “Our Shared Future: 250.” It invites Americans to look back at the nation’s history while also thinking about what comes next.

That balance is at the heart of the anniversary. America’s 250th birthday is not only a celebration of the past. It is also a chance to ask what the country’s founding ideals mean now, and how communities can carry them forward.

For many families, the Smithsonian may still mean museums on the National Mall. But in 2026, the Smithsonian is making a different promise.

You may not have to go to Washington to find it.

It may be coming to you.