Culture collides at the 58th annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival

At the 58th annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival, culture is colliding for those visiting and for the 600 participants that are showing off their trade and sharing their lifestyle on the National Mall in D.C.

This year’s theme, “Youth and the Future of Culture” explores creativity, vitality, resilience, and intergenerational learning and exchange through the contributions and experiences of youth.

The program aims to underscore how young people influence and engage with culture, and how they create, innovate, and sustain cultural practices and traditions, drawing from diverse communities and perspectives.

Bronson Carter, 16, was invited along with his family from Idaho to have a saddle making booth. Carter also demonstrated roping.

“I’ve just been out here roping the dummy, and when people want to learn, I kind of help them get the fundamentals,” said Carter.

Laughingly, Carter said he is from “the middle of nowhere,” and was amazed at how many people were on the National Mall for the Fourth of July fireworks.

Carter’s mom, Merrick, was in their family’s booth explaining what life was like for them on the ranch. Several people had the same reaction when she explained the branding process.

“They said, ‘that sounds just like Yellowstone, except there’s murders and robbers and, you know, things like that.’ I said, ‘well, minus the murders you got it about right,’” laughed Merrick Carter.

Another Idahoan with a booth at the festival is Matt Severe who, along with his family, builds cowboy gear and believes his children are learning important life lessons as they take part in the festival.

“One thing’s been really good for the kids to learn, how the rest of the world lives, that not everybody has the open spaces and the things that we take for granted,” said Severe.

Along with the Western theme, other activities include music, native language reclamation, street art, low riders and building trades.

Both the National Cathedral and George Washington’s Mount Vernon had booths at the festival.

Thomas Reinhart, Director of Preservation at Mount Vernon, told WTOP their purpose there was to inspire the next generation of craftspeople.

“We have got to get younger people interested in preservation. We need to ensure that we have a groundwork for people who can continue the stewardship mission for decades to come, for centuries to come,” said Reinhart.

Along with Reinhart, members of his staff joined him to meet and talk about the work done at Mount Vernon, including Allison Brashears.

The preservation carpenter said she was having a lot of fun at the festival.

“You see a little kid that’s like, ‘oh, well, what’s this tool do?’ And then you show them, and you see their eyes light up. It’s really special,” Brashears said.

The Smithsonian Folklife Festival runs through Monday.

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