Smithsonian's Summer Tradition Exiled from Washington D.C. for Trump's Grand Festival
The Smithsonian Institution's cherished annual Folklife Festival, a cultural mainstay held on Washington D.C.'s National Mall for over five decades, is being forcibly relocated to make way for President Donald Trump's extravagant 250th America birthday festival. This dramatic shift marks a significant departure from tradition, as the festival has celebrated living cultural heritage on the Mall every summer since its inception in 1967.
A Festival Displaced by Presidential Ambition
For generations, the Folklife Festival has gathered artisans, performers, and speakers from across the United States for several weeks around the Fourth of July, honoring contemporary cultural traditions. As recently as May of last year, the Smithsonian's congressional budget submission still outlined plans for an "expanded edition" of the festival on the National Mall. However, these plans have collided with President Trump's ambitious vision for the Great American State Fair, a centerpiece of his Freedom250 initiative celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
The Smithsonian now finds itself in a precarious position, caught between preserving its educational mission and appeasing White House demands. In a recent news release, the institution announced it would take the festival "on the road" to communities across the country and three U.S. territories, effectively exiling it from its traditional Washington home.
Flashy Events Replace Cultural Celebration
The Freedom250 celebrations will transform the National Mall with a series of high-profile events. Recent announcements confirm an IndyCar race on streets near the Mall and an Ultimate Fighting Championship event scheduled for the White House lawn on June 14, which coincides with both Flag Day and President Trump's 80th birthday. This reallocation of space represents a stark contrast to the Folklife Festival's focus on grassroots cultural expression.
Featured destinations for the touring festival now include the Fort Worth African American Roots Music Festival in Texas, the Concert of Colors in Detroit, the Montclair Jazz Festival in New Jersey, Tucson Meet Yourself in Arizona, and the National Folk Festival in Jackson, Mississippi. While this national tour may broaden access, it fundamentally alters the festival's iconic presence in the nation's capital.
Frosty Relations and Funding Threats
This relocation is the latest development in an increasingly tense relationship between the White House and the Smithsonian. Although not a federal agency, the Smithsonian relies heavily on federal funding, making it vulnerable to political pressure. President Trump has publicly criticized the institution, accusing it of promoting a negative view of American history.
In a social media outburst last August, Trump declared: "The Smithsonian is OUT OF CONTROL, where everything discussed is how horrible our Country is, how bad Slavery was, and how unaccomplished the downtrodden have been — Nothing about Success, nothing about Brightness, nothing about the Future." He has explicitly threatened the Smithsonian's funding if it continues to present what he deems "divisive narratives."
Administrative Ultimatums and Institutional Concessions
The White House has issued direct demands to the Smithsonian. A December 18 letter from White House budget director Russell Vought and domestic policy director Vince Haley to Smithsonian Secretary Lonnie Bunch III required the institution to provide comprehensive lists of all displays and materials related to the anniversary by mid-January. The letter emphasized that Americans "will have no patience for any museum that is diffident about America's founding" and insisted on a "positive view of American history."
In response to this pressure, the Smithsonian has already made notable concessions. The National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C. has replaced President Trump's portrait and removed accompanying text referencing his impeachment and the January 6, 2021, Capitol riots. These actions underscore the institution's challenging balancing act between academic integrity and political survival.
The exile of the Folklife Festival from the National Mall symbolizes a profound shift in how American cultural heritage is presented and prioritized at the highest levels of government, setting a precedent for the intersection of politics and public cultural institutions.
