The Smithsonian Folklife Festival returns to the National Mall this week with a series of free evening concerts.
The featured music celebrates the Ozarks region and diverse spiritual traditions across the U.S.
Most concerts start at 6 p.m., with a few exceptions, and will take place June 29-July 4 and July 6-9, according to the Smithsonian’s website.
Many of the concerts will be followed by community square dancing and concession stands around the festival will be offering food and drinks.
The musical performances will span many genres, from country rock to bluegrass and even gospel music. Beyond music, the June 30, July 6 and July 7 concerts will also include short film screenings.
Some gospel groups from Maryland and Virginia will perform on June 30, including Kingdom Fellowship AME Church and The Legendary Ingramettes.
A short documentary film on Shelley Ensor, a gospel singer, teacher and Maryland Heritage Award winner, will make its big-screen premiere between sets. The film is produced by the Maryland State Arts Council with Wide Angle Youth Media, an arts education nonprofit in Baltimore.
All evening concerts will include ASL interpretation and live captioning. Several evening concerts will also be livestreamed on the festival website and YouTube.
For more information about the Folklife Festival performances, check out the complete schedule online.
