Visitor Information
The Festival is held outdoors on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., between 7th and 14th Streets, near the Smithsonian museums. There is no admission charge. Visitors should dress for hot and humid weather. Parking around the Mall is extremely limited, so visitors are advised to use Metrorail. The Smithsonian station (Mall exit) is at the Festival site. Federal Triangle and National Archives stations are close by. During the Festival, call 202.633.7484 to hear a recorded description of daily events. For general Smithsonian visitor information, call 202.633.1000 (voice) or 202.357.1729 (TTY).

Festival Hours
The Opening Ceremony of the Festival will take place on the Texas Dancehall at 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, June 25. Thereafter, Festival hours will be 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with special evening events. See the daily schedules on pages 106–125 for details.

Festival Sales
Visitors may purchase program-related lunches, snacks, and dinners from Festival food concessions. Food is also available inside the museums and at GSI kiosks on the Mall. A variety of objects produced by Festival artisans and a selection of relevant books and recordings are available at the Festival Marketplace, which is next to the Freer Gallery of Art and open from 10:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Festival days. Smithsonian Folkways recordings are available there and through www.folkways.si.edu.

Services Visitors with Disabilities
Large-print and CD versions of the daily schedule and a CD version of the program book are available at the Festival Information kiosks and the Volunteer tent. The program book is available in other formats upon request. A limited number of wheelchairs are available for loan at the Volunteer tent. Audio loops are installed at the music stages. Service animals are welcome. American Sign Language interpreters are available on-site and can be requested at the Volunteer tent; the Festival schedule indicates which performances and presentations are interpreted. The Smithsonian will offer a verbal description and tactile tour of the Festival on Thursday, June 26, at 11:00 a.m. for visitors who are blind or have low vision; contact access@si.edu

First Aid
A first aid station is located near the Smithsonian Metro stop on the Mall at Jefferson Drive and 12th Street.

Thunderstorms
In case of a severe rainstorm, visitors should go inside a museum during visiting hours. Summer rainstorms are usually brief, and often the Festival resumes operations within an hour or two. In the event of a thunderstorm, the Festival must close. Do not remain under a tent or a tree!

Restrooms and Telephones
There are outdoor facilities for members of the public, including visitors with disabilities, located near each of the program areas on the Mall. Additional restroom facilities are available in the museum buildings during visiting hours. Public telephones are available on-site—opposite and inside the American History and Natural History museums.

Lost and Found/Lost People
Lost items or family members should be brought to or picked up from the Volunteer tent located near the Smithsonian Metro stop on the Mall at Jefferson Drive and 12th Street.