Colombia at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival

Budget travelers take note: If you can make it to Washington, D.C. this summer, you might be able to experience a bit of South America for free. You’ll simply have to time your trip to coincide with the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in late June and early July, when Colombia will be the guest of honor. The annual festival, which typically attracts more than one million people and has championed cultural heritage since 1967, will offer visitors a unique chance to sample the best of this recently transformed South American nation.

Tourism to Colombia has doubled since 2002, and a delegation of over 100 people will be at the free festival to highlight some of the country’s many cultural and eco-friendly attractions. Song, art, and dance performances will focus on Colombia’s three largest cities — Bogotá, Medellín, and Cali — as well as some of its key ecosystems, ranging from the Amazon rainforest to the Andean savannah. On a typical festival day, visitors might learn about traditional crafts like basket and cloth weaving, savor Colombian food and drink like arepas and coffee, and enjoy dance performances like Colombia’s wilder interpretation of “Argentine” tango.

The Smithsonian Folklife Festival will be held outdoors on the National Mall from June 30 to July 4 and July 7 to July 11, and will also feature exhibitions on the Peace Corps and Rhythm & Blues. For more information, visit www.festival.si.edu/2011/Colombia/.