Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Each summer, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival appears and disappears from the National Mall. It takes a crew of coordinators, builders, interns, and volunteers to transform a plot of grass into a miniature city. In this short video series, we highlight the hands behind the scenes who make the Festival sustainable, accessible, and welcoming to its participants and thousands of visitors from around the world.
Interns keep the Festival thriving year after year, becoming the next generation of culture workers helping to build, sustain, and document traditions in action. Intern coordinator Arlene Reiniger highlights how the fresh eyes and enthusiasm of interns shape the Festival—and how the Festival shapes these youth in return.
© Smithsonian Institution, 2025
Each summer, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival appears and disappears from the National Mall. It takes a crew of coordinators, builders, interns, and volunteers to transform a plot of grass into a miniature city. In this short video series, we highlight the hands behind the scenes who make the Festival sustainable, accessible, and welcoming to its participants and thousands of visitors from around the world.
Interns keep the Festival thriving year after year, becoming the next generation of culture workers helping to build, sustain, and document traditions in action. Intern coordinator Arlene Reiniger highlights how the fresh eyes and enthusiasm of interns shape the Festival—and how the Festival shapes these youth in return.
© Smithsonian Institution, 2025
