DISCOVER THE WONDERS OF COLOMBIA AT THE SMITHSONIAN FOLKLIFE FESTIVAL
Highlight to Bogota, Colombia’s Capital City
June 14, 2011 (Miami) – As the featured destination at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in Washington DC (June 30 – July 4; July 7 – 11, 2011) Colombia will be offering festival goers a chance to vibrate with the energy of the destination’s most celebrated cities. Kicking off the countdown to the festival, we invite you to get a glimpse of passionate Bogota, Colombia’s capital city.
Colombians are in love with the dynamism and cultural movements of their cities. Always in tune with international trends, Colombian cities are constantly offering large numbers of activities, festivals and exhibits. Deemed as the “City with a Heart,” Bogota is a passionate city that diligently preserves its great cultural and historical wealth while drawing visitors from all over the globe.
According to Maria Claudia Lacouture, President of Proexport, “Most international tourists traveling to Colombia and Bogota are from the United States. The Colombian capital and its surroundings offer travelers a great number of attractions, such as the Salt Cathedral and the Gold Museum, as well as an extraordinary gastronomic selection. In the past decade, Bogota has transformed into one of the cities in Latin America with the biggest growth and dynamicity.”
Founded in 1538, modern and classical structures intertwine the frenzy of the city with the natural scenery in the background. Not to be missed attractions include: the La Candelaria district where narrow, colorful streets are lined by churches, colonial mansions and republican buildings, while taking visitors back to the republican era; The Gold Museum houses the largest collection of pre-Colombian gold work in the world; and perhaps the most celebrated is the hidden treasure in nearby Zipaquira, The Zipaquira Salt Cathedral, home to one of the world’s largest salt deposits.
“Colombia is a country full of promise with modern and vibrant cities that reinterpret traditional regional cultures to create new ones. We invite you to discover and enjoy Colombia’s metropolitan cultures this summer in the heart of Washington DC,” stated the Ambassador of Colombia to the United States, Gabriel Silva.
For nearly two weeks, the Smithsonian Folklife Festival will be held outdoors on Washington’s National Mall. In addition to the culture of Colombia, other featured exhibitions include the Peace Corps and Rhythm & Blues. Colombia: The Nature of Culture program will highlight the bio-cultural diversity of the country and explore how cultural expressions are connected to their environments.