“Visiting” Hungary at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival
As if the 4th of July weren’t exciting enough in Washington D.C., the Smithsonian host the annual Folklife Festival that week on the National Mall. Bringing together international musicians, storytellers and craftspeople, the Festival celebrates culture and the preservation of traditional arts throughout the world. Every year, three themes are selected for the festival and usually include a country, region, or collective community experience. This year the themes were 1) Hungary, 2) Endangered Languages and 3) African-American fashion.
The Hungarian Village section of the festival sought to celebrate traditional music, dance and crafts as well as the people who are revitalizing that culture today. There were informative museum-like exhibits, artisan demonstrations and lots of concerts. Ever the international traveler, I was so excited to explore the Hungarian portion of the festival!
The Peacock Tower designed by Transylvanian architect Gyule Szilegyi stood at the center of the 2013 Smithsonian Folklife Festival.
Daydream Tourist 