Smithsonian Folklife Festival 2010 - Washington, DC

The Smithsonian Folklife Festival is a special annual event sponsored each June-July by the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage celebrating cultural traditions around the world. The Folklife Festival includes daily and evening music and dance performances, crafts and cooking demonstrations, storytelling and discussions of cultural issues. The themes of the 2010 program will be: México Profundo: A Deeper Mexico, Asian Pacific American Connections and Smithsonian Inside Out. More information will be announced soon.

2010 Smithsonian Folklife Festival Dates and Hours

June 24–28 and July 1–5. Open daily 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Evening events begin at 5:30 p.m. Admission is free. During the Festival, you may call (202) 633-7484 to hear a recorded description of daily events.

Location

National Mall, between 7th and 14th Streets in Washington, DC. Parking around the Mall is extremely limited, so the best way to get to the festival is by Metro. The closest stations are Smithsonian, Federal Triangle and National Archives.

Visiting Tips

• This event is held during the warmest time of year in Washington, DC. Plan ahead, dress appropriately and drink lots of water. Give yourself time to visit the Smithsonian Museums to cool off.
  
  
• Eat lunch or dinner at the festival. The food is great and reflects the themes of the festival. If children are picky, you can easily find a hotdog from a street vendor.
  
  
• Seek hands-on activities to keep children involved.
  
  
• Be sure to check out the Marketplace (located in front of the Smithsonian's Freer Gallery of Art) where you can find merchandise produced by festival artisans and related books and CDs.

2009 Program

Giving Voice: The Power of Words in African American Culture will examine how African American oral traditions have shaped American culture. From poetry to storytelling, from journalism to debate, the program will include performances and interactive programs designed to inspire, and to give insight into the aesthetics of language.

The Americas: A Musical World will feature outstanding artists from the United States and Latin America representing the rich diversity of musical styles in the United States and throughout the Americas, including Puerto Rican bomba, plena, and jíbaro music, Mexican son music from various regions, mariachi music, Colombian vallenato, joropo, and currulao, Dominican merengue típico, bachata, and salve, Chilean cueca, tonada, and nueva canción, Venezuelan música llanera, Paraguayan polca, Guatemalan marimba, and Salvadoran chanchona music.

Wales Smithsonian Cymru will celebrate the culture of Wales, examining the language, literature, crafts and occupational skills, music and cooking, and a wide range of contemporary arts. A focus will be on sustainable living and climate change with an explanation of how materials continue to be refashioned, recycled, and reinvented to meet modern demands and to continue to connect Wales to the world.

Photos of the Smithsonian Folklife Festivals

2009 Festival - Themes: Giving Voice: The Power of Words in African American Culture, The Americas: A Musical World, and Wales Smithsonian Cymru.

2008 Festival - Themes: A Celebration of Texas Music, Food and Wine, Bhutan: Land of the Thunder Dragon and NASA: 50 Years and Beyond.

2007 Festival - Themes: Mekong River: Connecting Cultures, Northern Ireland at the Smithsonian, and the Roots of Virginia Culture.

2006 Festival - Themes: Alberta at the Smithsonian, Carriers of Culture: Living Native Basket Traditions, and Nuestra Música 2006: Latino Chicago.

See Previous years

Official Web Site

www.folklife.si.edu

If you are planning to be in town for the 4th of July, read about Fourth of July Fireworks and Celebrations in the Washington, DC area.