The first Friday of the Festival marked some extra special events. We welcomed Perú: Pachamama‘s first four-legged participants: five alpacas from Maryland, who were treated to an elaborate blessing ceremony conducted by the Centro de Textiles Tradicionales del Cusco. Street artist MONKY stepped away from his screen-printing booth to cook up forty-six pounds of food in the pachamanca earthen barbecue.
If you visited the Festival and took photos, we hope you will join our Flickr group and add them to the pool!
These alpacas were visiting from the Flame Pool and Sugarloaf farms in Maryland. Photo by Kadi Levo, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives
Before the alpaca ceremony, women from the Centro de Textiles Tradicionales del Cusco cooked up a batch of chicha (fermented corn drink) in El Fogón Kitchen to use as a key part of the ritual. Photo by Evan McGurrin, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives
Weaver Timoteo Ccarita Sacaca lead the blessing ceremony, which processed from La Plaza to the alpacas’ tent. Photo by Kadi Levo, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives
Men from the Wachiperi communities demonstrated their archery skills in the center area of the Mall. Their hand-carved arrows can be purchased in the Marketplace! Photo by Kadi Levo, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives
Los Wembler’s de Iquitos got people on their feet in La Juerga’s dance floor with their signature cumbia amazónica sound. Photo by Francisco Guerra, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives
In the Marketplace, Elliot Túpac delighted visitors by writing out their names in beautiful calligraphy. Photo by Josh Weilepp, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives
Our largest group, representing the masked dance of La Fiesta de la Virgen del Carmen, marched from their tent to La Juerga. Photo by Josh Weilepp, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives
In the pachamanca barbecue pit, MONKY cooked meat straight on the hot stones. Photo by Josh Weilepp, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives
Jacquelina Ayasta showed a youth group her technique for embroidering the dress shirts for Marinera dancers. Photo by Michelle Arbeit, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives
Members of the Trío de la Estudiantina Municipal de Ayacucho pose for a photo with a dancer from Tradiciones Carumeñas. Photo by Evan McGurrin, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives
At the Festival, we hope to introduce people to new cultures, whether it’s Americans learning about Peru or Peruvians learning about their neighboring regions. For more inspiring scenes of cultural interaction, join us on the National Mall as Perú: Pachamama continues.
Elisa Hough is the editor for the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage.
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