The 45th Smithsonian Folklife Festival, a free event on the National Mall held June 30 - July 4 and July 7-11 in Washington D.C., features programs on Colombia, The Peace Corps, and Rhythm & Blues.

There will be three free evening concerts featuring Smithsonian Folkways artists as part of the 2011 Festival:

• Saturday, July 2, 6pm Cimarrón will make its third Festival appearance, performing the powerful, unbridled music from the upcoming album ¡Cimarrón! Joropo Music from the Plains of Colombia (available by June 28 at folkways.si.edu).
• Saturday, July 9, 6pm – Ayombe will perform songs from the award-winning album ¡Ayombe! The Heart of Colombia's Música Vallenata.
• Saturday, July 9, 6pm – 2011 Ralph Rinzler Memorial Concert featuring Elizabeth Mitchell, Suni Paz, and Chip Taylor and the Grandkids
  This evening of family-friendly music is a tribute to Kate Rinzler. Elizabeth Mitchell recorded two acclaimed albums for Smithsonian Folkways and will make her Festival debut with Suni Paz, singing songs in English and Spanish. Chip Taylor and the Grandkids performs songs from the upcoming album Golden Kids Rules.