Sometimes life drops blessings in your lap without your lifting a finger. Serendipity, they call it.
— Charlton Heston
My dance teaching mentor, MaryLee Lykes, used to call Folklife Festival the “high holy days of dance.” And while a huge part of the draw for me has always been dancing, what I find most exciting is the serendipity. Wandering around, stumbling upon music or dance that fills me with wonder and delight. It happens every year, without fail, and makes the experience downright magical. I went on Memorial Day this year, and in a few short hours we danced the Zydeco and Cajun 2-step, practiced a bit of Tango during a lesson, spontaneously sashayed to a busker playing a beautiful Irish waltz, heard a rockin’ bagpipe tune, ate delicious Paella, and witnessed at least one egregious tie-dye fashion faux pas. In other words, everything that makes Folklife so beloved.
A few friends revealed their favorite parts of Folklife 2026, including Scot McKay, who said: “I get to dance with people, from all over, to live music.” Silver Miller reported, “Waltzing around the giant floor in the Fisher Pavilion, seeing so many lovely, smiling humans that I have danced with before,” and then adding, “The shared joy.” Ronni Berger noted the Sunday Swing showcase and the Zydeco, saying she loves “Seeing our friends and dancers from Seattle and those that have moved away but return for Folklife.” Ronni, who’s been attending for over 30 years, says she took her kids to Folklife when they were little, and volunteered once again this year in order to “give back.”
Danny Salonen, who performed with the band Whozyamama on Monday (along with his brother, David), said of Folklife: “It just means everything. We all grew up with it. It’s a place for misfits and…people who are open to open to hearing something new. It’s a beautiful free festival with like-minded people. People who love to dance. People who love traditional instruments. People with ears that hear like ours.” He continued, “It was one of the few places David and I were really safe to be ourselves growing up, back before we were confident…that the weird music we made with our families was worth being a part of.”
Here’s hoping you wander into some serendipitous situations this week, starting with any number of interesting classes and events listed in the online Dance Calendar.
See you on the dance floor —Sean Donovan