Wales was the featured nation at the 2009 Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the National Mall in Washington, from 24 – 28 June and 1 – 5 July.
The festival is an annual cultural festival run by the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, a research and educational unit of the Smithsonian Institution. The festival celebrates the cultural traditions of communities from across the United States and from around the world.
Over 130 participants represented Wales at the event, on an area the size of four football pitches. Different themed areas each told a different story of:
- Language, Literature and Animation
- Industry, Heritage and Innovation
- Building and Landscapes
- Ecotourism and Pastimes
- Homes and Community
- Along the Water
- Music and Dance
- Wales and the World
Music, poetry and our stories were also showcased at The Square Mile, on the Welsh Dragon stage and at our rugby club.
Wales Smithsonian Cymru 2009
1.05 million visitors attended the ten day Festival - the highest number since 2003
75% of visitors said they might want to visit Wales or would consider it as a result of visiting the Festival