Happy Fourth of July! Before the rainy weather drove us inside the Arts and Industries Building, experts and artisans from California and Basque country shared their traditions and innovations with visitors on the National Mall.

This year at the Folklife Fest we celebrate the Basques,
Plus the sounds of California, in kimonos and in masks.
They’re telling stories, singing songs, and cooking fancy snacks,
And if you’re curious about them, all you have to do is ask!

Over the first three days of the Folklife Festival, Ramón Gutiérrez worked away in The Studio to build a requinto jarocho, a string instrument native to Veracruz, Mexico. On the fourth day, he finished the instrument and immediately launched into song.

A warm breezy day brought another round of cultural curiosities and explorations on the National Mall. It was our busiest day so far this year, with each tent—whether music, discussion, cheese making, or otherwise—continuously packed.

What’s a typical day at the Folklife Festival?

The Folklife Festival continued today with beautiful weather, energetic group dances, mouth-watering cooking demonstrations, and much more.

The 2016 Smithsonian Folklife Festival opened today with a tap on the tabla, as Salar Nader and Homayoun Sakhi kicked off the opening ceremony in the Arts and Industries Building.

While Basque country is home to many styles of dance, each with variations in dress, there are some basic elements that dance costumes have in common.

Quick wits, a keen ear, a powerful voice, and a thousand rhymes—these are the instruments of the Basque bertsolari.

The frontón is a centerpiece of Basque community life. A pelota or handball court at its core, these spaces were once sides of village churches and now can be found in parks, community centers, and casinos in Basque Country and around the world.