The American Folk Life Festival - 2009

This year, the American Folk Life Festival on the National Mall in Washington, DC highlighted, Wales, African American Culture, and The Americas. I spent most of my time in the Wales exhibits looking through all the handicrafts. There was so much to see and do that I really can't cover it in one post. This post will contain the "general" stuff from the festival. In subsequent posts, I'll cover some of the handicrafts and trades.



I did manage to catch the discussion of Hip Hop and Hip Hop Theater in the exhibit area as well as the engaging presentation by a playwright and poet at the Oratoriam.





I also listened to some fabulous Latin music in the music tent as well as in the dance tent.







I met up with my friend June (left) who was visiting from out of town for part of the festival. It was great seeing her again and we had a wonderful time checking out the exhibits and sampling the foods that were available.


All the food looked wonderful. I was tempted to get some of the South American food, but instead, settled on one of the "Soul Food" entrees - Fried fish, cole slaw, and some rice and beans. It was delicious...especially with a bit of Texas Pete! June settled on the stew from the Wales booth. We had a great time sampling each others food - it was a great way to sample a variety of foods. (I still keep thinking about the South American cuisine....but luckily, there's a Peruvian restaurant nearby so I'll be able to easily take care of any cravings!)

Of course, I had to include some gratuitous shots of the monuments, crowds, and people. It was a bit overcast most of the day, so the photos are quite are bright or sharp as I'd like.