The 6th edition of Ethno USA will take place in Greensboro, North Carolina, from September 10–21, 2026.
Ethno USA 2026 will welcome 30+ musicians from around the world, ages 18–30, along with a team of artistic mentors for an immersive 11-day music residency. Participants collaborate in a peer-led environment, sharing folk, traditional, and world music from their own cultures while forming a one-of-a-kind Ethnorchestra.
The residency will culminate in multiple public performances, celebrating intercultural exchange, artistic collaboration, and the power of music to connect communities.
Applications close August 1, 2026 or until all 30 spots are filled.
Questions? Need info? Email us at usa@ethno.world
The North Carolina Folk Festival’s mission is to honor, celebrate, and share the meaningful ways communities express their creativity and cultural traditions through music, dance, food, crafts and other folk arts to enhance appreciation of diverse traditions and contribute to community vibrancy and inclusivity.
The 2026 North Carolina Folk Festival will take place in downtown Greensboro September 18th through the 20th.
Located in North Carolina’s Piedmont region, Greensboro offers a welcoming setting rich in history, culture, and natural beauty. Originally home to the Saura and Keyauwee Native American tribes, the city has been a crossroads of cultures since the early 1700s.
Known as the “Gate City” for its historic role as a railroad hub, Greensboro is easily accessible and just a few hours from both the Blue Ridge Mountains and the Atlantic coast. The city is also renowned for its pivotal role in the American Civil Rights Movement, serving as the birthplace of the 1960 sit-in movement that helped spark nationwide change.
Greensboro’s legacy of resilience, diversity, and social progress makes it a meaningful place to gather and create.
Haw River State Park is a 1,485-acre park located in Guilford and Rockingham counties 15 miles north of Greensboro, NC. Haw River State Park is a unique park that centers on The Summit, a residential environmental education and conference center.
Trails and a boardwalk offer a journey into wetlands and a floodplain swamp. The park also houses the Iron Ore Belt Access, which is perfect to enjoy views of wetlands rich in flora and fauna while meandering through Piedmont oak-hickory forests. Canoes are available for use.
Our lodging will be inside of the park at The Summit Environmental Education Center, which has several rehearsal and common spaces exclusively for Ethno USA during the gathering. There are several conference rooms, a cafeteria and indoor and outdoor recreational facilities with a six-acre lake and hiking trails.
The sleeping arrangements for the participants are in modern, shared, gender-specific cabins equipped with en-suite bathrooms and showers.
Ethno USA Organizer
Audio Producer
Crew/ Safety
Crew/ Safety
Folk Alliance International 2018 Baltimore Avenue Kansas City, MO, USA 64108
Haw River State Park, Conference Center Drive, Browns Summit, NC, USA
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