Living Traditions Presents

Living Traditions Presents Living Traditions Present shares the richness of our community’s cultural diversity

Events that foster community conversations around social justice, equity, and diversity by presenting folk art that reflects both the unique qualities of various cultures and the similarities of human experience.

What an incredible weekend! 🎊 We couldn't have imagined a better 40th annual Living Traditions Festival. This year was t...
05/20/2026

What an incredible weekend! 🎊 We couldn't have imagined a better 40th annual Living Traditions Festival. This year was truly something special

We want to give the biggest thank you to each and every collaborator, artist, vendor, volunteer, attendee, and staff member who made this weekend happen. Months of planning and many long days are all worth it to see our community come together and celebrate. Thank you for making this year so special!!

And a huge thank you our incredible sponsors. All financial support plays a keep role in keeping Living Traditions free! A special thank you to division of arts & Museums and folklife for your collaboration and support. The 2026 Living Traditions Festival received funding and support from many America 250 programs including the Smithsonian’s “Our Shared Future: 250” initiative, the National Endowment for the Arts “Freedom 250” initiative, and Utah Humanities’ “By the People: Conversations Beyond 250” program.

In addition we'd like to thank Harmons Grocery Stores for sponsoring the International Food Market and the family foundation for their support! A social impact funder at the intersection of music, public space and community building, Levitt Family Foundation supports changemakers and nonprofits nationwide to build healthy, connected, and thriving communities by making live music accessible and bringing people of all ages and backgrounds together.

We've brought back merch to celebrate our 40th anniversary!! This year's design is made by local Hopi-Tewa artist Jessic...
05/16/2026

We've brought back merch to celebrate our 40th anniversary!! This year's design is made by local Hopi-Tewa artist Jessica Wiarda.

We have stickers hats, tote bags, adult tshirts (in white and back) and youth shirts (in navy) available for purchase at the festival!

About the design - Jessica draws on her community’s ceremonial traditions, where dances incorporate animal pelts such as deer and rabbit—species native to Hopi lands and traditionally used by Hopi people. Bear and bison materials appear as the result of trade with other Indigenous groups, including Ute tribes. These materials point to expansive Indigenous trade networks that existed long before European contact.

This work reflects the interconnected relationships across what many Indigenous peoples call Turtle Island, where deer, rabbit, bear, and bison together symbolize intertribal exchange and the broader connectedness of all cultures through shared animal stories.

We're just over 24 hours away from the start of the 40th annual Living Traditions Festival! 🎊 Here's what you need to kn...
05/14/2026

We're just over 24 hours away from the start of the 40th annual Living Traditions Festival! 🎊 Here's what you need to know before you go ...

⏰ Festival Hours
May 15, 5-10 PM
May 16, 12-10 PM
May 17, 12-7 PM
Learn more about festival programming on our website!

💳 If you're looking to make purchases at the festival such as sodas or bar drinks or get yourself some 40th anniversary merch, we accept cash and card payments! Artists and Food Vendors still take their own payments are many have different policies.

🏧 ATMs are no longer located on festival grounds. The closest ATMs are in the Library.

🚑 First Aid and Lost and Found are both located next to the info booth. Maps are posted around the festival for reference.

💧 Water refill stations are located throughout the festival. You are welcome to bring a reusable water bottle.

🚙 There is no dedicated parking for Living Traditions attendees. There is limited parking throughout the surrounding blocks in pay lots and metered stalls.

🚲 We offer bike parking at the East Entrance.

🚆 We recommend taking public transit! Ride TRAX to Library Station or take many of the Utah Transit Authority - UTA bus routes with stops near the festival. You can also take GREENbike Utah and use our discount "LTF26" for unlimited free 60 minuter rides during the festival weekend.

🛐 A multi-faith prayer tent is located on Washington Square. Please be quiet and respectful of all who are using the space. No eating or drinking inside. This tent is for spiritual practices. A sensory friendly space is located outside the East entrance for attendees looking for a quiet space.

♿ For more accessibility info, see our previous post!

We can't wait to welcome everyone this weekend to celebrate 40 years of this wonderful festival and amazing community.

05/14/2026

Looking for something to do this weekend? Join us at the Living Traditions Festival and be a part of our incredible community 💃🏻👏

Living Traditions is a FREE 3-day multicultural celebration of culture, community, and craft, located in the heart of downtown Salt Lake City. This year marks the 40th annual Living Traditions Festival, not only a milestone for the festival, but for the many cultural communities that make Living Traditions so special.

Visit the Civic Center this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday as we bring cultures from around the world to SLC with vibrant music, joyful dance, hands-on crafts, and unforgettable food.

We are committed to making Living Traditions accessible. If you have questions, or need accommodations not listed on our...
05/14/2026

We are committed to making Living Traditions accessible. If you have questions, or need accommodations not listed on our website, please contact us at [email protected] ♿️

Full accessibility information is available on our website.
Available at the Info Booth - spoken language translation services and translated maps and a limited number of wheelchairs available for use during the festival.

ASL Interpretation - ASL interpreters will be present at all food demonstrations, both headliner performances, the Intercultural Drum Exhibition, and the Grand PowWow.

Sensory Space - A sensory space is located outside the East Entrance on Library Square.

ADA Seating Areas - All 3 stages have designated ADA seating. Signage will indicate designated seating.

ADA Drop Off & Parking - Individuals can be dropped off next to the South Entrance, located on 500 South at 200 East. There is limited parking throughout the surrounding blocks in pay lots and metered stalls, some of which have accessible parking spots.

Thanks to Salt Lake City Government for the spoken language services and ASL interpretation and to Utah Division of Arts & Museums for assisting with our sensory space!

05/13/2026

Norma Caver, founder of , talks about the vital role food plays in passing down cultural traditions and how she continues to pass down recipes to her children and community 🌮🍋‍🟩🍹

🗓️ May 15, 5 - 10 PM | May 16, 12 - 10 PM | May 17, 12 - 7 PM
📍Civic Center (200 E 400 S, SLC)
🎟️ Free to attend

Stop by the Oaxaca en Utah food booth at Living Traditions this weekend to try horchata made with a family recipe, authentic tacos (with grasshoppers
if you’re adventurous), and all the other incredible food vendors!

The Sundance Film Festival is partnering with the Living Traditions Festival again this year, bringing their stories to ...
05/12/2026

The Sundance Film Festival is partnering with the Living Traditions Festival again this year, bringing their stories to the big screen that align with the festival’s mission of celebrating multigenerational traditions. Join us for this FREE film screening in the Salt Lake City Public Library Auditorium!

Film List:
The Boys and the Bees - On an idyllic farm in rural Georgia, beekeeping parents tenderly share their knowledge of life, love, and nature with their young sons while restoring their homestead.

The Chimney Sweeper - An eighth generation nutcracker craftsman discusses his life decisions.

The Creature of Darkness - Darkness settles over Little Egypt. Brielle, Karri, and Nunu wander among the limestone outcrops and sandstone spires. In a cave that hid freedom seekers along the Underground Railroad, their uncle tells a story of a creature that stirs at night.

Some Kind of Refuge - On the shifting edge of the Mississippi River in New Orleans, the spirit of a fading outsider community endures through its two oldest residents.

Screenings will be held on Saturday, May 16 at 2:30 PM and 4:30 PM in the Library Auditorium. Run time: 1 hour

The Local Lens screenings are just one part of the Living Traditions Festival! Visit the Civic Center (400 S, 200 E) in downtown Salt Lake City on May 15-17 to enjoy live performances, craft demonstrations, kids activities, an international food market and more, The best part? Living Traditions is free to attend!

Thanks to the Salt Lake City Public Library for hosting Living Traditions and these Local Lens screenings.

We’re so excited to share about all 4 of the national artists joining us at Living Traditions this weekend! This year’s ...
05/11/2026

We’re so excited to share about all 4 of the national artists joining us at Living Traditions this weekend! This year’s festival is one you won’t want to miss.

Preservation Hall Jazz Band
Performing on Saturday, May 16, at 8:30 PM
Preservation Hall Jazz Band has held the torch of New Orleans music aloft for more than 65 years, all the while carrying it enthusiastically forward as a reminder that the history they were founded to preserve is a vibrantly living history.

Pamyua
Performing on Friday, May 15, at 8:30 PM
With their unique blend of Inuit soul and tribal funk, Pamyua brings the music and culture of Indigenous people to new audiences.

Elena Terry
Food Demonstrations on Saturday, May 16, at 1:30 PM and Sunday, May 17 at 1:15 PM
As a member of the Ho-Chunk Nation and a seed-to-table chef, Elena develops relationships with tribal and community growers and producers through her nonprofit Wild Bearies and new restaurant Tall Grass.

Roen Hufford
Craft demonstrations happening throughout the weekend at Roen’s artist booth.
Of Native Hawaiian descent, Roen is widely acknowledged as a master tradition-bearer of ka hana kapa, a traditional Hawaiian barkcloth that has been used for clothing, ceremonial purposes, artwork and more.

The 2026 Living Traditions Festival is a collaborating festival with “Of the People: The Smithsonian Festival of Festivals,” a series of programs and exchanges from Smithsonian Folklife marking the 250th anniversary of the United States and showcasing the nation’s remarkable cultural landscape. 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.

05/11/2026

“It’s very important to know your roots, your traditions, your customs, and be happy about it, and especially share it with the community.”

For 40 years, Living Traditions has given a platform to many cultural traditions, believing community is built through diversity.

Norma Carver, founder of Oaxaca en Utah, is passionate about celebrating her cultural heritage and traditions. We’re excited to have Oaxaca en Utah back at Living Traditions, along with each and every person in our vibrant community

Celebrate with us next weekend!
May 15-17
Civic Center
Free to attend

New Orleans has been the point at which sounds and cultures from around the world converge, mingle, resurface and transf...
05/10/2026

New Orleans has been the point at which sounds and cultures from around the world converge, mingle, resurface and transform. Preservation Hall Jazz Band has held the torch of New Orleans music aloft for more than 65 years, all the while carrying it enthusiastically forward as a reminder that the history they were founded to preserve is a vibrantly living history.

We are honored to have Preservation Hall Jazz Band take the stage at the Living Traditions Festival this year! Enjoy their celebration of New Orleans jazz, blending historic traditions with vibrant new music on Saturday, May 16 at 8:30 PM in downtown Salt Lake City.

About Living Traditions - The Living Traditions Festival is a FREE, three-day multicultural festival produced by the Salt Lake City Arts Council in partnership with the Utah Division of Arts & Museums. For 40 years, the festival has supported the preservation of culturally diverse traditions, perspectives, and communities through the presentation of traditional music, dance, crafts, food, and more.

Address

Civic Center, 200 E 400 S
Salt Lake City, UT
84111

Telephone

+18015965000

Website

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