This blog post was written by Virginia Millington, Program Specialist, and Doug Peach, Folklife Specialist, at the American Folklife Center. 

The American Folklife Center is celebrating its 50^th Anniversary with a series of partnerships and collaborations across the country, showcasing the depth and scope of the AFC’s collections, audiences, and reach. Here are a few upcoming events where you’ll find AFC staff and collections.

AFC at the French Quarter Festival (April 13 – 14, 2026): New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park and Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve are hosting a two-day concert celebrating the 50th anniversary of the American Folklife Center. To kick off each day of performances, AFC staff members Andrea Decker and John Fenn will present about the Center’s work and its collections—focusing on the significant archival holdings connected to Louisiana and the Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve. The artists and culture bearers bringing their traditions to the stage on both days reflect the spirit and diversity of the American Folklife Center’s collections. All programming presented during the two-day celebration will be professionally recorded with support from the National Council for the Traditional Arts. These recordings will be featured on the July 4th episode of American Routes, a public radio program, allowing a wider audience to experience the anniversary festivities.

AFC and the Kronos Quartet at Carnegie Hall in NYC (April 24 – 25, 2026): Over the past two years, AFC staff have supported collections research that has inspired and informed a musical triptych commissioned by the Kronos Quartet called Three Bones. On April 25, Kronos will premiere Three Bones at Carnegie Hall, with other performances to follow in 2026 and 2027. Beyond the deep subject matter expertise and reference work provided by staff, the American Folklife Center will also be collaborating with Kronos on programming connected to Three Bones. The first of these events will be at Carnegie Hall on April 24, where John Fenn and Doug Peach from the AFC will be in conversation with composers, guest artists, and the Kronos Quartet themselves about the making of Three Bones.

AFC and the National Philharmonic (April 11 and May 9, 2026): For the third season in a row, AFC Reference Librarian Melanie Zeck is collaborating with National Philharmonic—also known as NatPhil—to connect the powerful music presented at NatPhil concerts with collections stewarded by the American Folklife Center. Zeck illuminates these connections through preconcert lectures, trivia shows, intermission presentations, research workshops, exhibits, video content, and written annotations, all at the Strathmore Music Center in North Bethesda, Maryland. Through this innovative partnership, Zeck has reached thousands of NatPhil patrons and offered them the opportunity to be engaged, inspired, and informed by the Library of Congress’ vast collections. As the NatPhil wraps up its current season, AFC reference librarian Melanie Zeck will bring her extensive musicological knowledge and librarianship skills to the final two programs on April 11 and May 9.

AFC staff encourage you to visit us at one, or all, of the events above. Having staff and resources out on the road enables the American Folklife Center to reach audiences far and wide. However, we are also planning programming onsite at the Library of Congress to celebrate our 50^th anniversary throughout 2026. Stay tuned to Folklife Today and the American Folklife Center’s Facebook page for announcements and calendar listings of more great events at the Library and beyond!