Smithsonian Folklife Festival

If you’re in Washington, D.C. during the two weeks bracketing the Fourth of July, you won’t want to miss the music, crafts, and food showcased at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival. Launched in 1967, the festival invites practitioners of folk traditions from across the country and around the world to the National Mall to demonstrate and discuss folk arts native to their regions. The festival is highly participatory–visitors are encouraged to dance, sing and interact with speakers–and has a loyal following among Washingtonians and tourists alike. More than one million people attend each year.

The festival is usually organized around a few regions or major themes. In 2009, for example, it offered programs on “Giving Voice: The Power of Words in African American Culture,” “Las Américas: Un mundo musical,” and “Wales Smithsonian Cymru.” Giving Voice, as its name suggests, included a variety of spoken performances—poetry, storytelling, comedy, theater, and radio. Las Américas gathered traditional musicians from across Latin America and the United States. Wales Smithsonian Cymru explored many aspects of traditional Welsh culture: music, building, language, cooking, weaving, woodcarving, pottery, and more.

Don’t miss the special concerts/dance parties offered at the end of each festival day (usually at 5:30 pm); the marketplace tent, where you can buy crafts and CDs by festival artisans; and the food concessions, which feature special dishes related to the festival’s themes.

Travel Tips

The number and variety of programs offered in the course of  one day at the festival can be dizzying. Visit www.festival.si.edu before you go and review the full schedule of events to plan your day (schedules are subject to change day-to-day). When you’re there, don’t be afraid to ask lots of questions. Most of the festival participants  are eager to talk about their folk traditions.

The dates for this year ‘s festival are June 30 – July 4, and July 7 – 11, 2011.