Smithsonian Folklife Festival 2007

27 June - 8 July 2007
Northern Ireland and Kent at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival

This year's Smithsonian Folklife Festival, which runs from June 27 to July 8, will feature three programs: Northern Ireland, the Mekong River, and - in honor of the 400th anniversary of Jamestown - Roots of Virginia Culture.

For a few summer days on the Mall in Washington, D.C., visitors will be able to "visit" Northern Ireland, and to experience the history and culture of Northern Ireland firsthand. Northern Ireland will be represented by up to 160 of its finest musicians, storytellers, cooks, craftworkers, and cultural experts, who will share with visitors the living traditions that make and sustain the cultural life of contemporary Northern Ireland.

The 'Roots of Virginia Culture' program explores a series of themes in order to illustrate the common traditions, crafts and cultures of Kent and Virginia and how those traditions have subsequently developed in both regions. Among these themes are food and garden; crafts; maritime traditions; and music and storytelling. Kent's 40-strong contingent showcases specialist skills in crafts and traditions that best illustrate the county and its culture.

A view of the National Mall, Washington DC, during the Smithsonian Institution's Folklife Festival. The festival, now in its 41st year, is always timed to coincide with the Fourth of July and is a hugely popular event in the Washington area. The festival typically welcomes over a million visitors each year. Festival goers sample the food and drink, music, dance, history and crafts of the featured countries and cultures. (Photo: Smithsonian Institution)

The Smithsonian Folklife Festival 2004. The Festival that year featured Haiti, Mid-Atlantic Maritime Communities and Music in Latino Culture. (Photo: Smithsonian Institution)		The National Mall during the Smithsonian Folklife Festival 2002. (Photo: Smithsonian Institution)

The Smithsonian Institution was a result of a gift from James Smithson, an English scientist who never visited the United States, but who in 1829 left his fortune to the people of the United States for "the increase and diffusion of knowledge." The Smithsonian Institution is now the world's larges museum complex, and includes 16 museums, the National Zoo, and four research centers. The Folklife Festival is curated by the Institution's Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage

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