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• The Fugees Family started the day with a soccer scrimmage on the National Mall, playing with the Northern Virginia Soccer Club and inviting visitors to join in.
  Photo by Daniel Martinez, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives
• Raphael Viania and other members of Capoeira Angola Center of New York slow-kicked and twisted their way down the Migration Walkway to the rhythm of the berimbau and under the direction of Mestre João Grande.
  Photo by Daniel Martinez, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives
• In celebration of the circus on the National Mall, for two weeks you can hear Smithsonian Folkways Recordings music on the Smithsonian Carousel.
  Photo by Brian Barger, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives
• In the Juggling tent, young visitors tried out the QUAT PROPS Juggling Board, a tool that teaches the motions and rhythms of juggling without the obstacle of gravity.
  Photo by Vivianne Peckham, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives
• MASPAZ and CHELOVE gave a screen printing demonstration, showing visitors the techniques for printing posters by hand. Their posters feature original artwork and will be for sale in the Festival Marketplace.
  Photo by Gregory Gottlieb, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives
• A crew of D.C. graffiti artists joined MASPAZ (in the baseball hat) to contribute artwork to the Mural Truck.
  Photo by Vivianne Peckham, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives
• Students from Sailor Circus seemed to defy gravity jumping on and through the Folklife Festival’s custom-made Wall Trampoline.
  Photo by William O’Brien, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives
• Taking over the Open-Air Ring, the Wenatchee Youth Circus remained unfazed by the Mid-Atlantic heat and humidity even coming from the Pacific Northwest.
  Photo by Hatum Saenz-Painemilla, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives
• The Wallenda Family Troupe hurried through their High-Wire act to beat the thunderstorm, completing their pyramid chair-balancing act just as the rain began to fall.
  Photo by William O’Brien, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives
• Juan Gutierrez and Los Pleneros de la 21 waited out the rain to finish off the evening on the Ralph Rinzler Stage. Despite the mugginess and muddiness, audiences crowded the tent to dance to the group’s Puerto Rican bomba and plena tunes.
  Photo by Josh Weilepp, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives

It wouldn’t be a proper Smithsonian Folklife Festival without a thunderstorm. After a beautiful morning full of music, movement, and conversation, the afternoon’s events were cut short by a sudden downpour. NEA National Heritage Fellow Juan Gutiérrez and Los Pleneros de la 21 brought the bash back with a very damp dance party.

The weather looks clear and warm for tomorrow, so plan your visit and read our guide to keeping cool. You can learn about the history of circus animals, Caribbean dance traditions, and how to juggle. There is no evening concert on the Ralph Rinzler Stage, but the Stars of the Circus will headline the Big Top at 7 p.m.

Elisa Hough is the editor for the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage.