Sunday, June 29, 2008

Smithsonian FolkLife Festival in Washington DC

The great thing about DC is that, even when I can't travel, I can travel. In DC, the world comes to you. Each year the Smithsonian holds the Folklife Festival. They showcase one U.S. culture, one world culture, and one Smithsonian museum. This year they are highlighting Texas, Bhutan, and NASA (for the Air and Space Museum).

The festival is held in tents on the national mall. I spent most of my time in Bhutan. They have performance tents, showcases of different monastic arts, a Bhutanese temple, traditional foods and (of course) a gift shop. They also had places where kids could do arts and crafts Bhutan style.

Highlights included an intricate sand painting, gorgeous textiles, and a natural medicine booth. Lowlights included scorching heat and too many children not on leashes. I'm going to try and go back next week with Chris.

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