Join us for Smithsonian Food History Weekend!

With cooking demonstrations, hands-on learning, dynamic conversations, Smithsonian collections, and beer history, there’s something for everyone at our fifth annual Smithsonian Food History Weekend: Power Through Food. With a special focus on migrant and refugee women and organizations, this year's festival will explore how their food-related enterprises are helping create sustainable livelihoods and stronger communities.

Join us for free daytime activities for visitors of all ages, including cooking demonstrations, hands-on learning, book signings, and dynamic conversations featuring leading chefs, local organizations, experts, museum curators, entrepreneurs, and more. Programs include:

• The Kids Table: Hands-On Cooking Activities
• The Marketplace
• Book Signings
• Curators' Corner
• Conversation Café
• and more!

Know Before You Go

Ticketing is already SOLD OUT for Friday's "Deep Dish Dialogue: Culinary Game Changers and the Julia Child Award" and the "Cooking Up History: In the Kitchen with Jacques Pépin." You can still sign up for waitlist tickets.

All other programs are first-come, first-served open seating. Sign up for an email reminder.

We encourage you to register to recieve email reminders, however please note that your registration does not guarantee you a seat and space will be limited. Please be mindful to arrive early and leave time to go through security. Please click here for information about security and visiting.

Cooking Up History

Feast on eight live cooking demonstrations featuring cuisines from around the world. Our guest chefs include migrant and refugee women who are creating sustainable livelihoods and stronger communities through food-related enterprises. Plus, we'll offer a special session on cooking techniques with the legendary Jacques Pépin! Full speaker list and session descriptions.

Friday, November 8

12:00-12:30 p.m.

• Eritrean Food En Route (No tickets required. Seating is first-come, first-served open seating. Sign up for an email reminder.)

1:00-1:45 p.m.

• SOLD OUT: In the Kitchen with Chef Jacques Pépin (*Free tickets are required. Sign up for waitlist tickets.)

3:00-3:30 p.m.

• Persian Cuisine in the U.S. (No tickets required. Seating is first-come, first-served open seating. Sign up for an email reminder.)

Saturday, November 9

10:30-11:00 a.m.

• Cooking Healthy: Kids in the Kitchen (No tickets required. Seating is first-come, first-served open seating. Sign up for an email reminder.)

12:00-12:30 p.m.

• Mera Kitchen Collective: A Taste of the Baltimore Farmers’ Market (No tickets required. Seating is first-come, first-served open seating. Sign up for an email reminder.)

1:00-1:30 p.m.

• Vietnamese Cuisine in Lincoln, Nebraska (No tickets required. Seating is first-come, first-served open seating. Sign up for an email reminder.)

2:00-2:30 p.m.

• Behind-the-Scenes at Bad Saint (No tickets required. Seating is first-come, first-served open seating. Sign up for an email reminder.)

3:00-3:30 p.m.

• Salvadorian Cuisine in the District (No tickets required. Seating is first-come, first-served open seating. Sign up for an email reminder.)

Space is limited, please plan to arrive early.

Deep-Dish Dialogues
We’re serving up three super panels about Power Through Food. The first panel features all past recipients of the Julia Child Award. They'll reflect on Julia’s legacy and discuss how their work in food extends and amplifies the critical importance of culinary education, innovation, mentoring, and bridge-building for a new generation. Full speaker list and session descriptions.

Friday, November 8

10:30-11:45 a.m.

• SOLD OUT: Culinary Game Changers and the Julia Child Award—A Conversation with Julia Child Awardees, 2015–2019: Jacques Pépin, Rick Bayless, Danny Meyer, Mary Sue Milliken, and José Andrés. (*Free tickets are required, and seating is limited. Sign up for waitlist tickets.)

1:30-2:45 p.m.

• Empowering Communities Through Food—A Conversation with Women Migrants, Refugees, and Entrepreneurs: Manal Kahi, Daniela Hurtado, Lourdes Gonzalez, and Emily Lerman (No tickets required. Seating is first-come, first-served open seating. Sign up for an email reminder.)

Saturday, November 9

10:30-11:45 a.m.

• Saving Communities Through Food: A History—A Conversation on Women and Food Activism in American History with Jessica B. Harris, Crystal Moten, Tambra Raye Stevenson, and Psyche Williams-Forson (No tickets required. Seating is first-come, first-served open seating. Sign up for an email reminder.)

SOLD OUT: Last Call: Brewing History After-Hours
Friday, November 8, 6:30-9:00 p.m.

Love craft beer? Friday evening is dedicated to all things beer as the museum hosts Last Call: Brewing History After Hours. Join us for "Brewing a Revolution," an evening of conversation with several of the most transformational figures in the beer industry, and brews spanning the spectrum of the craft beer revolution. Enjoy beer tastings, appetizers, and brewing history objects out of storage, including recent acquisitions. See the list of speakers and breweries.

(NOTE: This evening event is recommended for 21+ audiences. Tickets were sold separately through the museum's website.)

ACCESSIBILITY

The National Museum of American History welcomes visitors of all ages and abilities. Sign language interpretation and real-time captioning of programs and special events are available upon request. Two weeks’ notice is preferred.

For accessibility assistance, email NMAHPrograms@si.edu or call (202) 633-3150.

THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS

Smithsonian Food History Weekend is made possible through generous support from:

Brewers Association

John Deere

The Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts

Smithsonian American Women’s History Initiative

Wegmans

Special thanks to Melissa’s Produce Company

Last Call: Brewing History After-Hours is made possible by

Brewers Association

with additional support from

Cabot Creamery Co-operative

Cooking Up History is supported by

Wegmans and Sur La Table

Leadership support for FOOD: Transforming the American Table is made possible by Warren and Barbara Winiarski (Winiarski Family Foundation), Brewers Association, The Julia Child Foundation for Gastronomy and the Culinary Arts, Land O’Lakes Foundation, 2018 Food History Gala supporters, and History Channel.

"Brewing a Revolution," a conversation with the founders of craft beer, is part of the museum’s American Brewing History Initiative documenting and collecting the story of beer and brewing in America, with a homebrewing and craft beer focus. The initiative is generously made possible by the Brewers Association, the not-for-profit trade association dedicated to small and independent American brewers.