Enjoy the Smithsonian Folklife Festival
(1st Place)
You Ki Sohn (302)
There are many events and exhibitions held in the States throughout the year. Last Thursday, I had a chance to visit the Smithsonian Folklife Festival with my daughter in Washington D.C. The visit made me feel refreshed because I hadn’t been there for almost one year. So I had waited excitedly to go on the field trip instead of being stuck in the classroom.
I arrived at the place where the festival was being held in the middle of a hot and humid day. It was very difficult to see the events from the hot weather, but when I visited the various exhibitions that were interesting and fun to watch, I forgot about the weather. The place was clean and all the events seemed to be well organized. Two main events included the exhibitions and performances from those who represented two countries: China and Kenya. There were big tents for food and performances and also small tents for displaying their traditional items.
Compared with the way people do things in Korea, it was surprising to me how people here prepared and managed all those events and performances. In my country, Korea, the place where any special event is being held is usually crowded with those who are selling food and gifts. There are also other annoying things such as excessive litter and drunken people. However, here in the States, I have never seen a drunken man on a street and have hardly seen litter in a park. At the Folklife festival, I found many trashcans and people who check those trashcans regularly. In addition, there were a lot of activities people could join and enjoy.
Therefore, I would like to recommend this festival to my friends, especially those who have kids. I fully enjoyed the field trip with my daughter. It was not boring at all and I could experience various traditional cultures and activities for free. In addition, when you come to D.C., you can also enjoy visiting many museums for free, which will be a good educational experience for your kids. All you have to do is just bring metro tickets and some money for food and drinks to have one of the best days. Oh, don’t forget to bring sunglasses and a hat.
