The 2008 Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington D.C.

The Smithsonian Folklife Festival for 2008 is from June 25 - June 29 and July 2 - July 6, 2008, from 11 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. daily. Evening events are at 6 p.m. daily. Those unfamiliar with this event may ask what exactly the Smithsonian Folklife Festival is. The Smithsonian Folklife Festival is an annual event that held for two weeks, and overlaps the July 4 holiday. The festival site is on the National Mall in Washington, DC between 7^th and 14^th Streets and sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution's Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. The festival is free of charge and is something the entire family will enjoy and cherish for years to come.

Because the festival deals with the many cultures of the world, it is broken up into different programs, and features a state, region, or theme. The Smithsonian Folklife Festival features many talented musicians, artists, performers, craftspeople, workers, cooks, storytellers, and others who chose to display their given gift.

The festival's focus is on the many different aspects of the selected culture. There are many different types of displays for visitors to experience. The performances that the artist may highlight include singing, dancing, playing music, producing crafts, and preparing food items that are indigenous to the culture of the presenter. Another way that the performers present information regarding their culture is through storytelling. The storytellers recites stories regarding their histories, traditions, and even stories that may not be completely factual. However, the stories that they tell pass down through many generations. Some of the stories at the storytellers provide are completely from memory and others are read from collections written by their ancestors.

The festival is an interactive event. Organizers of this cultural experience encourage visitors to involve themselves, by learning the dances, singing the songs, and sampling the foods available and freely provided by the participants of the Smithsonian Folklife Festival.

Past displays for this festival that held since 1967, are not only on a small scale. One display included a racetrack for horses that extended between the US Capitol Building and the Washington Monument. Another large-scale display was an Indian village complete with 40-foot tall statues, fashioned from paper and bamboo. Can you imagine how your children would react to seeing that?

A lot of hard work and effort goes into pulling off this event on a yearly basis. Much of the research and work used to obtain the participants as well as the displays and information commons from those connected to the Smithsonian museums.

All events connected with the Smithsonian Folklife Festival are free of charge, as are the Smithsonian museums. Be advised that parking surrounding the downtown Washington, DC area as well as the areas surrounding the National Mall is limited. You will also find that parking that is available is quite expensive. For much quicker access, visitors to the Smithsonian's Folklife Festival should utilize the Metro Rail System. There are various park and ride locations located through out the greater Washington, DC, Maryland, and Virginia area.

The Metro System is wheelchair accessible. The blue and orange lines for trains are most closely located to the side of the festival. From these lines, the Smithsonian Station lets riders off right in the midst of the festivities. Another option would be the Federal triangle station, which is also located on the orange and blue lines. One can also use the green or yellow lines and exit the National Archive Station, which is also in close proximity to the festival.

For more information regarding the festival, you can visit the Smithsonian Folklife Festival website or call 202.633.7484 during the festival for recorded information, or call 202.633.1000, for general Smithsonian information.