Celebrate 250 Years of Cultural Democracy with us on October 2-4th, 2026

The Smithsonian Folklife Festival is partnering with festivals across the country through Of the People: The Smithsonian Festival of Festivals,in recognition of the United States’ 250th anniversary. Fresno has been selected as one of approximately forty collaborating communities nationwide. This festival, hosted by the Alliance for California Traditional Arts, is a gathering that celebrates our diverse heritage and reflects on the future of cultural democracy for our communities.

The Great Valley Gathering will feature and highlight cherished living traditions that shape the Central Valley, including:

      • Mono basketweaving
      • Chicano lowriders
      • Armenian music
      • Guinean percussion
      • Cowboy bootmaking
      • and over 20 home cooking food vendors
The Hmong New Year celebration Friday, December 26, 2008 at the Fresno County Fairgrounds.

 

Three days of public cultural programming in Downtown Fresno, featuring:

The festival will be free and open to the public, welcoming residents and visitors alike.

 

Mamady “Wadaba” Kourouma, performing West African Djembe percussion. Photo: Katrina Koelewyn.

Presented by:
Alliance for California Traditional Arts

Festival Director:
Amy Kitchener, public folklorist

This project received funding from the Smithsonian’s “Our Shared Future: 250,” a Smithsonian-wide initiative supported by private philanthropy and created to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary and advance the Smithsonian vision for the next 250 years.

Artist & program announcements to come in Summer 2026. Be the first to get updates by signing up for emails below.

 

 

 

We’d love to work together to highlight the Central Valley’s living traditions. Send inquiries to [email protected], and sign up for email updates below.

Sign-up for Great Valley Gathering Updates

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