[3] Each year, the festival spotlights a particular ethnic community or folk tradition through the Cultural Focus program.

The most recent Cultural Focus programs include the Traditional Roots of Hip Hop, Echoes of Aztlan and Beyond and Youth Rising.

Many attendees from across Washington state, Oregon and British Columbia, come to Northwest Folklife annually to play music with friends.

The buskers include musicians, jugglers, circus performers, and magicians, and vary in age, style, and professionalism, all playing for donations from the crowds.

The festival is also a place where people can simply hang out and enjoy the (usually sunny) Memorial Day Weather.