The Center of the Universe is a landmark in downtown Tulsa, OK that marks the site of an acoustic phenomenon; if you stand in the center of the circle and make a sound, it echoes back much louder. Photo by Brad Lovell.

photograph of the Center of the Universe landmark in Tulsa, OK

Every year, close to 900 scholars, cultural workers, practitioners, artists, educators, and more come from around the world to enjoy a wide variety of presentations, discussions, films, workshops, and concerts, to learn about current work, and to make or renew contact with others in the field. The largest single gathering anywhere that is devoted to folklore, the Annual Meeting of the American Folklore Society sparks the conversations that challenge and sustain us throughout the year.

See past annual meetings

Learn about future meetings

2023 Annual Meeting

The 135th annual meeting of the American Folklore Society will be held virtually, October 11-12, and in-person in Portland, Oregon, November 1-4, 2023.

Participating in the AFS annual meeting—an annual high point for me—has provided me with opportunities for continued professional growth and has kept me in touch with other folklorists, who are like family.

Susan Roach
A mural of folk musician Woody Guthrie featuring an image of Guthrie playing guitar, below the text "The Land is Your Land".

2022 Annual Meeting

The 2022 AFS Annual Meeting was held October 12-15, in Tulsa, Oklahoma at the Hyatt Regency Tulsa. The theme of the meeting was Re-Centering the Periphery.

Now, more than ever, we have many options for raising awareness of your work, services or products.

Future Annual Meeting Sites and Dates

Information about 2024 coming soon!

Site Selection

Annual meeting sites are usually selected three to four years in advance of the time of the meeting. AFS members who wish to have a site considered for a future AFS meeting should contact us at [email protected] for more information and to discuss your ideas with AFS staff.

Hotel, tourism, and convention bureau sales staff should contact Catherine McKemie of ConferenceDirect, who manages the Society’s site research and can provide our meeting room and sleeping room specifications.