Swamp Dogg performs one more time at the Festival on Monday, July 4, at 1 p.m. on the Soulsville Stage

Festival photographs from Sunday, July 3, 2011

Highlights from the opening ceremony for the 2011 Smithsonian Folklife Festival. In 2011, the Festival featured three programs: Columbia: The Nature of Culure, The Peace Corps, and Rhythm and Blues: Tell it Like it is.

Two R&B singers featured at the 2011 Smithsonian Folklife Festival, Kim Weston and Shirley Jones, sat down yesterday to share stories about their lives in the music business

The Smithsonian Folklife Festival attracts many talented photographers every year. For the first time, we are choosing our favorite photos taken by our visitors, and featuring these images daily on the Folklife Festival homepage

This installment of Festival Audio features a live performance by the legendary Funk Brothers

The artists performed and demonstrated for enthusiastic audiences on this third day of the Festival. Here is a selection of images from our photographers

On June 30, opening night of the Festival, former Soul Train dancer Tyrone Proctor shared stories about his first days with the legendary television show. Afterwards, he and dancers from D.C.-based Urban Artistry performed for an enthusiastic audience.

From the Motor City Stage, Miss Martha Reeves shared stories from her career and took audience questions. Afterwards, she and her band brought the crowd to their feet

A glimpse of the Festival on July 1 through the lenses of some of the Smithsonian staff and volunteer photographers.