2011 Festival Blog - Behind the Scenes

Whoa–the festival is only a few weeks out!  Time is flying!  There’s still so much that the Participant Staff needsRead More

The constant sounds of music have ceased, and the aroma of cooking food no longer wafts over the National Mall.Read More

This year’s Smithsonian Folklife Festival brings over 280 participants and a million visitors to the National Mall. It  features daily andRead More

We are very fortunate to have great interns in participant staff! Their help is greatly appreciated, and we are asRead More

I have been working since 1987 at the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage and have curated too manyRead More

Of the many Smithsonian Folklife Festivals I have attended or worked since 1973, this one certainly has that special feel.Read More

The first week of the Festival was great! We have had two days off to catch our breath, and weRead More

Visitors, volunteers, and staff who make the Smithsonian Folklife Festival an annual event in their lives often collect Festival T-shirts.Read More

Spotted: Colombian celebrity Juan Valdez seen at Dulles airport, awaiting the start of the Folklife Festival! Juan Valdez is aRead More

Walk down the National Mall today, and you will see about 65 white tents, and within them, you will hearRead More