About

The Middle Atlantic Folklife Association (MAFA) is a professional association supporting folklorists and others concerned with traditional folk culture in the mid-Atlantic region. It serves Virginia, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

MAFA members are engaged in a full range of activities to study, document, interpret, present, fund, teach, encourage and advocate for traditional cultural expressions in the region. MAFA supports this diversity of approaches to folklife through a number of services to its members and constituents, including professional development, resource identification and access, and communication among different sectors of the field.

MAFA encourages involvement in folklife studies and the presentation of traditional culture through collaborations with communities interested in documenting and perpetuating their traditional ways of life. Through advocacy with community groups, MAFA members seek to mitigate potential threats to traditional culture.

Our publications, events, and Facebook page offer a forum for the exchange of information on public folklore programs, research projects, events, and critical issues, as well as opportunities for research and employment in the field of folklore.