The Upper Peninsula Folklife Festival planning committee invites traditional arts practitioners from throughout the Upper Peninsula and Upper Midwest representing a wide variety of cultural backgrounds to apply to present their work through demonstrations, workshops, or other educational activities. Represented artistic media must meet the criteria of traditional arts, defined as art forms or crafts that are learned in an informal environment, from artist to artist, rather than in an education institution.
Applications to gauge artist interest and eligibility will be accepted through Monday, July 1, 2026 and reviewed in July by the Festival committee. From there, planning and coordination with artists will continue into the late summer. An official schedule of events will be made public by Friday, August 28, 2026. Thanks to the support of the American-Scandinavian Foundation, Michigan Arts & Culture Council, and regional organizations and agencies, artists can expect to receive compensation for their contributions to the Festival program.
To find out more and apply, visit https://nmu.edu/beaumierheritagecenter/upff
