WASHINGTON, D.C., USA — The 2023 Smithsonian Folklife Festival will feature musicians, dancers, chefs, artisans, and storytellers from the Ozarks in “The Ozarks: Faces and Facets of a Regions” June 29-July 4 and July 6-9 at the National Mall in Washington D.C.
The festival is meant to expose the "living cultural heritage" taking place over two weeks during the summer over the July 4th holiday, according to their website.
“The cultural Ozarks is a human region built from the ever-changing cultural practices and traditions of the peoples who have and continue to inhabit this beautiful yet demanding and fragile terrain,” the festival says on their website.
While the region known as the Ozarks covers territory in numerous states including Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Illinois, the festival will be highlighting a few artists, musicians, and even chefs from Arkansas. In all, at least 13 Arkansan performers and
Most notably for 5Country, Chef Rafael Ríos, owner of Yeyo's in Northwest Arkansas and mother and daughter duo Shou Vue and Xue Lee-Vang will be sharing Mexican and Hmong recipes respectively at the festival. Nick Nichols and Matthew Sloan will be hosting moonshine-making demonstrations.
Musicians from 5Country including Sad Daddy, Ozark Highballers, Mark Harmony, and Pura Coco will all be performing at the festival.
Sign painter Olivia Trimble and graffiti artists Alan Rodriguez and Kayleigh Tolman from Fayetteville will be creating murals.
A teaching garden inspired by the Heritage Herb Garden at the Ozark Folk Center State Park in Mountain View, Ark. will be on display for community gardeners, farmers, foragers, and spiritual leaders to share their knowledge.
Representing the Marshallese community in Arkansas, Marshallese artisans will be holding demonstrations of boat building and weaving. Marshallese dancers will also be featured.
You can visit the Smithsonian Folklife Festival website to find links to stream some events.
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