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• 1 / 10
  Catalan blacksmith Enric Pla Montferrer and vegetable fiber artist Joan Farré i Oliver are making progress on their collaborative Gateway to Culture in between crafts demonstrations and discussions.
  Photo by Sonya Pencheva, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives
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  Diana Hovhannissian, a twenty-three-year-old Armenian carpet weaver, demonstrated her craft for a much younger future weaver.
  Photo by Sonya Pencheva, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives
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  A volunteer added crochet pieces to the blossoming Tree of Life, a recurring symbol in Armenian folklore and artwork. The blue piece on the right is one of many new additions by a visiting group from  ArlingtonWeaves, a local organization that provides support to adults with developmental disabilities by teaching them technical and social skills.
  Photo by Kathryn Mitchell, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives
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  Maral Shohmahlian-Berberian, an embroidery master from Syria who moved to Yerevan, presented one of her pieces to a visitor.
  Photo by Victoria Pickering, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives
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  Young members of the Los Angeles-based Heritage Dancers, wearing veils reminiscent of yesterday’s mock wedding, performed on the Hyurasenyak stage.
  Photo by Victoria Pickering, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives
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  Representing the Federació Catalana d’Entitats Catifaires, Angel Gallart Portas began a new catifa (flower carpet) today featuring the Smithsonian sunburst.
  Photo by Aaron Crabtree, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives
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  Since last week, dry-stone waller Roger Solé-Coromina has been working on this igloo-shaped barraca, using carefully fit sandstone without any mortar to hold it together. He expects to finish the roof of the structure by Sunday.
  Photo by Kathryn Mitchell, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives
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  Armenian American Nicole Hassoun is the owner of Magnus and Co. distillery in Washington, D.C. In the Hatsatoun, she led a demonstration on crafting an Armenian cocktail with pomegranate and anise.
  Photo by Kathryn Mitchell, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives
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  After many months of logistical challenges, the human tower teams arrived in D.C. yesterday and began performing today. As the cloudy skies cleared, the Colla Vella dels Xiquets de Valls took to the lawn. See more photos.
  Photo by Sonya Pencheva, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives
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  Green Fields of America brought the day to a close on the Rinzler Stage, celebrating forty years of Irish American music and dance. It was a homecoming of sorts for founder Mick Moloney—he researched Irish American performers for the 1976 Folklife Festival, creating a network that eventually evolved into Green Fields.
  Photo by Stephen Kolb, Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives

Click on the photo above to view full slideshow

Although the forecast threatened thunderstorms, the Folklife Festival continued as planned with beautiful weather, the beginning of the Handes! Armenian Dance Summit, and our first Catalan human towers. Take a look through some of our favorite scenes from today, and add your own to our Flickr group.

Only two days left! Tomorrow at noon, grab a glass of wine from the Ginetoun and learn about Armenia's 6,000-year history of winemaking. Watch Pep Madrenas create beautiful ceramic pieces of Catalan tradition. In the rumba workshop, participate in dances that connect Catalonia and Cuba. While you do your early Christmas shopping in the Marketplace, learn the basics of Ghanaian kente cloth weaving. Join artisan and cook Seda Hovakimyan in the Hatsatoun to learn how to make nettle soup and learn more about foraging in Armenia’s highlands. The Catalan human towers will perform at 2 and 4 p.m.

For our evening performances, enjoy Armenian folk dancers from across North America as well as Catalan sounds from Cobla Catalana dels Sons Essencials and Joan Garriga & the Galàctic Mariatxis!

Elisa Hough is the editor for the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, and Rachel Barton is the media intern for the 2018 Folklife Festival. Together they are Team Festival Blog.