Smithsonian Folklife Festival 2015 to Celebrate Culture of Peru

PHOTO: Curator Olivia Cadaval (far right), introduced as the “Director of the United States National Museum,” participates in a ceremony recognizing La Palomita dance and national patrimony of Peru. — in Moquegua Region.

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The 49th annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival will highlight Peru, one of the most culturally and ecologically diverse countries in the world.

The festival takes place from Wednesday, June 24 to Sunday, June 28 and Wednesday, July 1 to Sunday, July 5.

The Festival will feature more than 100 Peruvian artisans and cooks, musicians and dancers, as well as artists and tradition bearers from the Peruvian American diaspora, according to a news release from the festival.

The program’s theme is “connectedness.” Visitors will experience how ties are made—and maintained—in Peru through cooking and craft demonstrations, music and dance performances, conversations, ritual and celebratory processions, and other activities.

The festival will be located on the National Mall adjacent to the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian. Admission to the Festival is free, and hours are from 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. each day, with special evening events beginning at 7 p.m.

The Festival is co-sponsored by the Republic of Peru Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (MINCETUR) and presented in partnership with the National Park Service.