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Each summer, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival offers tourists and locals plenty of reasons to venture down to the National Mall—folk music, native food, interactive exhibits. And every year Mother Nature offers her own reasons not to—mostly sizzling temperatures
and stifling humidity. This year’s festival was unspectacular by historical standards—Folklife fests since 1995 have averaged 87 degrees; this year’s averaged 88—but over the past 10 years, the Smithsonian vs. nature
battle has produced some unforgettable moments:
High temperature: 97
Relative humidity:
100 percent
Selected theme:
The Mississippi Delta
Notable event:
“Worship crafts” section a big draw due to
elaborate hand fans.
High temperature: 95
Relative humidity:
90 percent
Selected theme:
Wisconsin
Notable event:
Badger-state adage “You could cook a bratwurst on the sidewalk out here” becomes basis for
popular concession.
High temperature: 99
Relative humidity:
76 percent
Selected theme:
“The Silk Road”
Notable event:
Traversed mostly by comfortable, breathable cotton
High temperature: 93
Relative humidity:
87 percent
Selected theme:
“Oman: Desert, Oasis, and Sea”
Notable event:
Minor inaccuracy:
Arabian oases don’t
traditionally offer $3 bottles of Dasani.
High temperature: 93
Relative humidity:
81 percent
Selected theme:
Scotland
Notable event:
Single-malt purists sneak ice cubes when no one’s looking.
High temperature: 89
Relative humidity:
93 percent
Selected theme: “Tibetan Culture Beyond the Land
of Snows”
Notable event:
Mass dissatisfaction with “Beyond” part of the title
High temperature: 91
Relative humidity:
100 percent
Selected theme:
“Working at the
Smithsonian”
Notable event:
Actual Smithsonian employees prefer to chill undisturbed in the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery.
High temperature: 92
Relative humidity:
82 percent
Selected theme:
Haiti
Notable event:
Wyclef Jean’s “Gone ’Til November” finds new resonance.
High temperature: 91
Relative humidity:
91 percent
Selected theme:
Bermuda
Notable event:
Eponymous shorts
more popular than eponymous onion.
High temperature: 99
Relative humidity:
90 percent
Selected theme:
South Africa
Notable event:
Sandy, blond Mall
gravel makes visiting Kalahari bushmen feel right at home.
High temperature: 87
Relative humidity:
100 percent
Selected theme:
“Washington, D.C.:
It’s Our Home”
Notable event:
Festival moved to
Benning Road cooling center.
Art accompanying story in the printed newspaper is not available in this archive: Illustration by Doug MacDonald.