The Festival site looked great yesterday, and the recently arrived México program participants could be seen chatting with folks from the Asian Pacific Americans and Smithsonian Inside Out programs.

The food concessions opened, and the noodles, chicken with rice, bhelpuri, and other delights were being devoured by curious pre-Festival visitors and Festival staff.

Lots of Washington dignitaries are expected today for the grand opening. The tired but thrilled Festival staff will be wearing our official blue Festival 2010 staff shirts. And many tens of thousands of visitors are expected for this first historic celebration of Mexico, Asian Pacific Americans in the D.C. area, and the employees of the many museums and research units of the Smithsonian itself.

See you there!

Phil Tajitsu Nash is the curator of the Asian Pacific Americans program at the 2010 Folklife Festival.