The 2016 Folklife Festival ended today with whip cracks, a mass dance to accordion melodies, and last-minute lemonade and taco runs.

Thanks to warm weather, over a hundred talented artisans and performers, and all our sponsors, we enjoyed another beautiful day of the Folklife Festival on the National Mall.

Kaixo! 今日は! Kamthum muvak! Ողջույն! ¡Hola! سلام! Hawka! That’s “hello” in Basque, Japanese, Quechan, Armenian, Spanish, Pashto, and Kumeyaay

It’s time for Week Two of the 2016 Folklife Festival! After the Fourth of July, we bid farewell to FandangObon, Klaperttaŕak, the Joaldunak, and several other Basque and Californian groups.

In this interview, Tmbata answers questions about their American and Armenian inspirations, the importance of Armenian folk music, and what they want to do when get to D.C. for the Smithsonian Folklife Festival.

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.

Day two of the Folklife Festival ended with a welcome surprise of cross-culture.

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.

The 2016 Smithsonian Folklife Festival began on June 29 with a ceremony in the Smithsonian’s newly reopened Arts and Industries Building.