Smithsonian Festival to Remain on National Mall

Festival Kicks Off June 25th

The National Park Service has reached an agreement with the Smithsonian Institution to keep the annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival on the National Mall.

The agency announced a new five-year agreement Wednesday, to be signed during the festival's opening ceremony. Some festival supporters had worried that new turf regulations on the National Mall would force the festival to relocate elsewhere.

The agreement calls for the festival to be held on the National Mall between 7th and 14th streets for the next five years whenever possible.

This year's festival, highlighting China and Kenya, runs from begins Wednesday and runs through July 6. (with the exception of June 30-July 1).

The festival is free to the public.

Next year, the festival will be held between 3rd and 7th streets on the mall during the second phase of a turf restoration project. The park service says it will work with the Smithsonian to find a suitable location during the turf overhaul.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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