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.

Check out our plans for 2024!

See past annual meetings

Learn about future meetings

Find updates and more in the Annual Meeting News

2024 Annual Meeting

Join us Nov. 6-9, 2024 for the 136th annual meeting of the American Folklore Society online and in Albuquerque, New Mexico!

This year, we will gather in person with some hybrid concurrent sessions, livestreamed events, and recordings after the fact.

The in-person and hybrid programs of the society’s 136th Annual Meeting will be held at the Albuquerque Convention Center and the DoubleTree by Hilton.

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

2023 Annual Meeting

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

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 2025 coming soon!

Site Selection

In these times of greater volatility and precarity, we often reserve our annual meeting sites within two years of the meeting dates.

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.