Visitors to the Smithsonian Folklife Festival had many purposes for attending and different reactions to Wednesday’s opening ceremonies at the Arts and Industries Building.
The festival, held at the National Mall through Monday, July 4 and re-starting July 7 through July 10, this year is a cultural event dedicated to preserving and showcasing the traditions of Basque, a small region straddling southern France and northern Spain.
“The festival’s only just started and I am already impressed with the outcome, and I love how many people have showed up,” said media director James Mayer. “Hopefully everyone enjoys this experience since a lot of work has been put into this festival.”
The sights are no exaggeration either–pieces of jewelry and miniature sculptures were in the gift shop, wide banners hung from the stands outside and hundreds of people in colorful clothing walked everywhere.
But, not everyone was as impressed.
Suzanne Wellington,57,
said while she could see the work put into the event, she didn’t get the same flare she was looking for from a cultural festival.
Despite a few negative responses, the majority of attendees said they truly enjoyed their time spent at the festival, and that they couldn’t wait to see what’s in store next year.