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In its 35th year, Northwest Folklife creates opportunities for individuals and communities of the Pacific Northwest to celebrate, share, and sustain the vitality of folk, ethnic and traditional arts through education and other public programs. It's the largest folk, ethnic and traditional arts event in North America, drawing an estimated 250,000 people to Seattle Center each Memorial Day Weekend. Executive Director Michael Herschensohn took the helm of Northwest Folklife in 1998, and under his leadership the program has successfully expanded to include recordings, education programs, exhibits, publications and research and consulting services.