Today the Festival returned to the National Mall with a bang! Nearby lightning strikes forced the opening concert indoors, courtesy of our neighbors at the National Museum of Natural History. The Baird Auditorium, at capacity, filled with sounds and stories of Afghanistan and the Afghan American diaspora.

Starting with Yo-Yo Ma’s solo cello performance of the African American spiritual “Nobody Knows the Troubles I’ve Seen,” the evening evolved through moments of joy, empathy, and camaraderie. If you missed the concert, you can watch the archived livestream.

Our usual daytime programming begins tomorrow, and we can’t wait to explore Earth Optimism × Folklife and the United Arab Emirates with you. Start your day in the Meyer Auditorium at the Freer Art Gallery for the Opening Ceremony and celebrate our in-person reopening! Join a poetry workshop with artists from the UAE.

Feeling hungry? Visit Festival Foodways to learn about Omani-style pit cooking and farm-raised fish! Attend virtual Folklife Studio sessions on our journey to zero waste, how animals and humans can live in harmony, and how we get around!

Stick around for a conversation about species conversation at 5 p.m. and our FolkLIVE Concert featuring Dubai-based band NOON and D.C.’s very own go-go group Experience Unlimited at 6:30 p.m. 

All this and so much more tomorrow at Day 2 of the Folklife Festival!

Annabella Hoge is the 2022 Folklife Festival media intern, and Elisa Hough is the editor at the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. Together they are Team Top Ten.