Among the various forms of contemporary artistic practice in various Russian regions, the folklore festival occupies a special place. As a kind of folk holiday culture, the folk festival has its roots in the ancient national tradition of folk festivities, which has undergone a significant evolution. Today it is not just an artistic event, but an important socio-cultural event that solves problems of an aesthetic, ideological, political, and pedagogical nature. This is evidenced by the world-wide spread folklore movement-a significant cultural phenomenon of the second half of the twentieth century. The article analyzes the role of folk art festivals in the development of Russian regions at the present stage. On the example of folklore forums in the regions of Central Russia, which have a significant history in the post-Soviet period, their importance in the preservation and development of regional cultural tradition is revealed. The role of the folklore festival as a means of cultural communication – the center and periphery, inter-regional and international interaction-is defined.