WASHINGTON — For the final weekend, the National Mall has been transformed into a lush, green part of the Untied States: The Ozarks.
The Smithsonian Folklife Festival this year celebrates the people and traditions of the south central region, including the Marshallese people who have emigrated to the Ozarks for decades.
"I hope they know that Marshall Islands, we have our own tradition own culture, it's very unique from everybody else," said visitor Litha Ralfo. "If you notice our canoe, for us to get from one atoll to another, we don’t use vehicles, you’ve got to go either on a ship, or canoes that its set up here."
Learning directly from artisans and cultural experts is what the festival is all about. The Smithsonian Folklife Festival is known as a “living museum.”
"They have a chance to get their hands dirty in some of the gardening that’s happening here," said Clifford Murphy, director of the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. "You'll have a chance to learn about native plants, you'll have a chance to weave a basket if you want to."
The second theme for 2023's festival is "Creative Encounters: Living Religions in the U.S.," which explores the cultural artifacts that come out of religion. That includes a colorful ofrenda, a remembrance of ancestors.
Curators have been surprised to see emotional reactions to the exhibit, as many have chosen to write the names of their dead, coming after a time of great loss during the pandemic.
"The number of people that have actually been there and go and they sit – they write a name and they tie it on there," said Michelle Banks, curator of Creative Encounters. "So I think it's important to people to recognize this collective idea that we've all shared in some sort of losses."