diff --git a/src/actions/index.js b/src/actions/index.js
index da6fe64..c8bdf0e 100644
--- a/src/actions/index.js
+++ b/src/actions/index.js
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ export function updateDistrict(district) {
   }
 }
 
-export const UPDATE_TAGFILTERS = 'UPDATE_TIMEFILTERS'
+export const UPDATE_TAGFILTERS = 'UPDATE_TAGFILTERS'
 export function updateTagFilters(tag) {
   return {
     type: UPDATE_TAGFILTERS,
@@ -197,6 +197,14 @@ export function updateTagFilters(tag) {
   }
 }
 
+export const UPDATE_CATEGORYFILTERS = 'UPDATE_CATEGORYFILTERS'
+export function updateCategoryFilters(category) {
+  return {
+    type: UPDATE_CATEGORYFILTERS,
+    category
+  }
+}
+
 export const UPDATE_TIMERANGE = 'UPDATE_TIMERANGE';
 export function updateTimeRange(timerange) {
   return {
diff --git a/src/components/Dashboard.jsx b/src/components/Dashboard.jsx
index 077e0f2..e0a59aa 100644
--- a/src/components/Dashboard.jsx
+++ b/src/components/Dashboard.jsx
@@ -98,7 +98,8 @@ class Dashboard extends React.Component {
         <Toolbar
           isNarrative={!!app.narrative}
           methods={{
-            onFilter: actions.updateTagFilters,
+            onTagFilter: actions.updateTagFilters,
+            onCategoryFilter: actions.updateCategoryFilters,
             onSelectNarrative: this.setNarrative
           }}
         />
diff --git a/src/components/TagListPanel.jsx b/src/components/TagListPanel.jsx
index 1ca46e7..3406140 100644
--- a/src/components/TagListPanel.jsx
+++ b/src/components/TagListPanel.jsx
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import React from 'react';
 import Checkbox from './presentational/Checkbox';
+import copy from '../js/data/copy.json';
 
 class TagListPanel extends React.Component {
 
@@ -20,9 +21,10 @@ class TagListPanel extends React.Component {
     this.computeTree(nextProps.tags);//.children[nextProps.tagType]);
   }
 
-  onClickCheckbox(tag) {
-    tag.active = !tag.active
-    this.props.onFilter(tag);
+  onClickCheckbox(obj, type) {
+    obj.active = !obj.active
+    if (type === 'category') this.props.onCategoryFilter(obj);
+    if (type === 'tag') this.props.onTagFilter(obj);
   }
 
   createNodeComponent (node, depth) {
@@ -35,7 +37,7 @@ class TagListPanel extends React.Component {
           <Checkbox
             label={node.key}
             isActive={node.active}
-            onClickCheckbox={() => this.onClickCheckbox(node)}
+            onClickCheckbox={() => this.onClickCheckbox(node, 'tag')}
           />
       </li>
     );
@@ -61,15 +63,42 @@ class TagListPanel extends React.Component {
   }
 
   renderTree() {
-    return this.state.treeComponents.map(c => c);
+    return (
+      <div>
+        <h2>{copy[this.props.language].toolbar.tags}</h2>
+        {this.state.treeComponents.map(c => c)}
+      </div>
+    )
+  }
+
+  renderCategoryTree() {
+    return (
+      <div>
+        <h2>{copy[this.props.language].toolbar.categories}</h2>
+        {this.props.categories.map(cat => {
+          return (<li
+            key={cat.category.replace(/ /g,"_")}
+            className={'tag-filter active'}
+            style={{ marginLeft: '20px' }}
+          >
+            <Checkbox
+              label={cat.category}
+              isActive={cat.active}
+              onClickCheckbox={() => this.onClickCheckbox(cat, 'category')}
+            />
+          </li>)
+          })
+        }
+      </div>
+    )
   }
 
   render() {
-
     return (
       <div className="react-innertabpanel">
-        <h2>Explore data by tag</h2>
-        <p>Explore freely all the data by selecting tags.</p>
+        <h2>{copy[this.props.language].toolbar.explore_by_tag__title}</h2>
+        <p>{copy[this.props.language].toolbar.explore_by_tag__description}</p>
+        {this.renderCategoryTree()}
         {this.renderTree()}
       </div>
     );
diff --git a/src/components/Toolbar.jsx b/src/components/Toolbar.jsx
index 53b0808..4826445 100644
--- a/src/components/Toolbar.jsx
+++ b/src/components/Toolbar.jsx
@@ -81,7 +81,8 @@ class Toolbar extends React.Component {
             categories={this.props.categories}
             tagFilters={this.props.tagFilters}
             categoryFilters={this.props.categoryFilters}
-            onFilter={this.props.methods.onFilter}
+            onTagFilter={this.props.methods.onTagFilter}
+            onCategoryFilter={this.props.methods.onCategoryFilter}
             language={this.props.language}
           />
         </TabPanel>
@@ -185,11 +186,11 @@ class Toolbar extends React.Component {
 function mapStateToProps(state) {
   return {
     tags: selectors.getTagTree(state),
-    categories: selectors.selectCategories(state),
+    categories: selectors.getCategories(state),
     narratives: selectors.selectNarratives(state),
     language: state.app.language,
     tagFilters: selectors.selectTagList(state),
-    categoryFilter: state.app.filters.categories,
+    categoryFilters: selectors.selectCategories(state),
     viewFilters: state.app.filters.views,
     features: state.app.features,
     narrative: state.app.narrative,
diff --git a/src/js/data/copy.json b/src/js/data/copy.json
index 039a50d..6453a2a 100644
--- a/src/js/data/copy.json
+++ b/src/js/data/copy.json
@@ -18,6 +18,10 @@
     },
     "toolbar": {
       "title": "TITLE",
+      "categories": "Categories",
+      "tags": "Tags",
+      "explore_by_tag__title": "Explore by tag or category",
+      "explore_by_tag__description": "Selecting tags or categories, you'll see only those events that are tagged accordingly. If you select nothing, as well as everything, all data will be displayed.",
       "panels": {
         "mentions": {
           "title": "Personas",
@@ -105,7 +109,11 @@
         }
       },
       "narrative_panel_title": "Focus narratives",
-      "narrative_summary": "Here you can follow some curated stories we have found in the data."
+      "narrative_summary": "Here you can follow some curated stories we have found in the data.",
+      "categories": "Categories",
+      "tags": "Tags",
+      "explore_by_tag__title": "Explore by tag or category",
+      "explore_by_tag__description": "Selecting tags or categories, you'll see only those events that are tagged accordingly. If you select nothing, as well as everything, all data will be displayed."
     },
     "timeline": {
       "zooms": [
diff --git a/src/reducers/app.js b/src/reducers/app.js
index a17ec9a..b7164ea 100644
--- a/src/reducers/app.js
+++ b/src/reducers/app.js
@@ -1,11 +1,10 @@
 import initial from '../store/initial.js'
 
-import { parseDate } from '../js/utilities.js'
-
 import {
   UPDATE_HIGHLIGHTED,
   UPDATE_SELECTED,
   UPDATE_TAGFILTERS,
+  UPDATE_CATEGORYFILTERS,
   UPDATE_TIMERANGE,
   UPDATE_NARRATIVE,
   INCREMENT_NARRATIVE_CURRENT,
@@ -136,6 +135,25 @@ function updateTagFilters(appState, action) {
   })
 }
 
+function updateCategoryFilters(appState, action) {
+  const categoryFilters = appState.filters.categories.slice(0)
+
+  const catFilter = categoryFilters.find(cF => cF.category === action.category.category);
+
+  if (!catFilter) {
+    categoryFilters.push(action.category)
+  } else {
+    catFilter.active = (!!action.category.active);
+  }
+  
+
+  return Object.assign({}, appState, {
+    filters: Object.assign({}, appState.filters, {
+      categories: categoryFilters
+    })
+  })
+}
+
 function updateTimeRange(appState, action) { // XXX
   return Object.assign({}, appState, {
     filters: Object.assign({}, appState.filters, {
@@ -254,6 +272,8 @@ function app(appState = initial.app, action) {
       return updateSelected(appState, action)
     case UPDATE_TAGFILTERS:
       return updateTagFilters(appState, action)
+    case UPDATE_CATEGORYFILTERS:
+      return updateCategoryFilters(appState, action)
     case UPDATE_TIMERANGE:
       return updateTimeRange(appState, action)
     case UPDATE_NARRATIVE:
diff --git a/src/selectors/index.js b/src/selectors/index.js
index aec7e5c..2367b35 100644
--- a/src/selectors/index.js
+++ b/src/selectors/index.js
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ export const getSources = state => {
 export const getNotifications = state => state.domain.notifications
 export const getTagTree = state => state.domain.tags
 export const getTagsFilter = state => state.app.filters.tags
+export const getCategoriesFilter = state => state.app.filters.categories
 export const getTimeRange = state => state.app.filters.timerange
 
 
@@ -42,6 +43,19 @@ function isTaggedIn(event, tagFilters) {
   }
 }
 
+/**
+ * Given an event and all categories,
+ * returns true/false if event has a category that is active
+ */
+function isTaggedInWithCategory(event, categories) {
+  if (event.category) {
+    if (categories.find(c => (c.category === event.category && c.active))) return true
+    return false;
+  } else {
+    return false
+  }
+}
+
 /*
 * Returns true if no tags are selected
 */
@@ -53,6 +67,17 @@ function isNoTags(tagFilters) {
   )
 }
 
+/*
+* Returns true if no categories are selected
+*/
+function isNoCategories(categories) {
+  return (
+    categories.length === 0
+    || !process.env.features.CATEGORIES_AS_TAGS
+    || categories.every(c => !c.active)
+  )
+}
+
 /**
  * Given an event and a time range,
  * returns true/false if the event falls within timeRange
@@ -69,14 +94,15 @@ function isTimeRangedIn(event, timeRange) {
  * and if TAGS are being used, select them if their tags are enabled
  */
 export const selectEvents = createSelector(
-    [getEvents, getTagsFilter, getTimeRange],
-    (events, tagFilters, timeRange) => {
+    [getEvents, getTagsFilter, getCategoriesFilter, getTimeRange],
+    (events, tagFilters, categories, timeRange) => {
 
       return events.reduce((acc, event) => {
         const isTagged = isTaggedIn(event, tagFilters) || isNoTags(tagFilters)
+        const isTaggedWithCategory = isTaggedInWithCategory(event, categories) || isNoCategories(categories)
         const isTimeRanged = isTimeRangedIn(event, timeRange)
 
-        if (isTimeRanged && isTagged) {
+        if (isTimeRanged && isTagged && isTaggedWithCategory) {
           const eventClone = Object.assign({}, event)
           acc[event.id] = eventClone
         }
@@ -90,16 +116,14 @@ export const selectEvents = createSelector(
  * and if TAGS are being used, select them if their tags are enabled
  */
 export const selectNarratives = createSelector(
-    [getEvents, getNarratives, getTagsFilter, getTimeRange, getSources],
-    (events, narrativesMeta, tagFilters, timeRange, sources) => {
+    [getEvents, getNarratives, getSources],
+    (events, narrativesMeta, sources) => {
 
       const narratives = {}
       const narrativeSkeleton = id => ({ id, steps: [] })
 
       /* populate narratives dict with events */
       events.forEach(evt => {
-        const isTagged = isTaggedIn(evt, tagFilters) || isNoTags(tagFilters)
-        const isTimeRanged = isTimeRangedIn(evt, timeRange)
         const isInNarrative =  evt.narratives.length > 0
 
         evt.narratives.forEach(narrative => {
@@ -229,7 +253,13 @@ export const selectSelected = createSelector(
 */
 export const selectCategories = createSelector(
   [getCategories],
-  (categories) => categories
+  (categories) => {
+    categories.map(cat => {
+      cat.active = (!cat.hasOwnProperty('active')) ? false : cat.active
+    });
+    console.log(categories)
+    return categories;
+  }
 )