Ode to the Ozarks: Looking ahead to the '23 Smithsonian Folklife Festival

The National Mall will resonate with sounds of the Ozarks this summer when the Missouri State University Libraries offers a preview of the 2023 Smithsonian Folklife Festival program, “The Ozarks: Faces and Facets of a Region.” The preview concert is part of the Festival’s “Next Up” series.  

This free and open-to-the-public event will be held from 4-6 p.m. (EDT) June 26 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., during the 2022 Smithsonian Folklife Festival. In addition to entertaining guests in D.C., the performance will be livestreamed for audiences across the Ozarks and beyond. 

The June 26 concert, titled “Ode to the Ozarks,” will feature old-time Ozarks music. This musical style blends fiddling, folk songs and mountain music to create a distinctive genre of brisk rhythms and bright timbres.   

To open the show, a trio of skilled musicians led by David Scrivner will present an old-time Ozarks jam session. Next, guests will enjoy a performance by Sylamore Special, a group of five teenagers based in Mountain View, Arkansas. The quintet, comprised of Mary Parker, Gordon Parker, LillyAnne McCool, Mercy Grace and Turner Atwell, will share their lively and spirited take on bluegrass music.  

The MSU Libraries continues to work with the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage and other partners to plan the Ozarks program of the 2023 Smithsonian Folklife Festival. 

The free, 10-day Festival will be held in late June and early July of 2023 on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. At the event, participants will experience Ozarks music, food, crafts and stories through daily demonstrations and nightly concerts. Other programming next year will focus on creativity and spirituality across the U.S. 

Free