[Nfbv-announce] Smithsonian Institution Folklife Festival; Tactile and Verbal Description Tour Announcement

[John Bailey]

Smithsonian Institution Folklife Festival; Tactile and Verbal Description Tour Announcement
From: Katelyn Kelel [mailto:katie.kelel at gmail.com]

To accommodate and maximize the experience of visitors who are blind  and/or visually impaired, the Smithsonian Institution is excited to  announce it will be holding a tactile and verbal description tour of  the annual Folklife Festival on Friday, July 1, 2016 from 3:00 to 5:00  P.M.  For tour participants who would like sighted guide assistance to  the Festival site, please meet at 2:45 p.m. on the Madison Dr. side of  the National Gallery of Art's West Building, on the sidewalk near the  stairs to the museum entrance.  For Metro Access purposes, the address  is 621 Madison Dr. NW, Washington, DC.  Tour participants may also  meet the group at the Folklife Festival Volunteer tent on the National Mall. The closest Metro stations are Navy Memorial/National Archives  or L'Enfant Plaza, Maryland Ave. exit.  Attached to this email you  will find a word document containing festival information and a  description of special events which is also available online.  Please  pass this information along to anyone who may benefit from this tour.
We are asking all interested parties to RSVP to: katie.kelel at gmail.com by Monday, June 27, 2016 to ensure we have the appropriate staff to  accommodate the needs of all participants.  If you have any additional  questions or accessibility concerns, please do not hesitate in  contacting me via email or phone at 313-929-2633.  Thank you in  advance for your interest and participation in this event!  We look  forward to seeing you on July 1!

General Information
The Smithsonian Folklife Festival is held outdoors on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., during the last week of June and first week of July. In 2016, the Festival will take place between Fourth and Seventh streets, north of the National Air and Space Museum, from June 29 to July 4 and July 7 to 10. The Festival is free of charge. Visitors should dress for hot and humid weather.
Getting Here
Planning a visit to the Festival? The Visit | Smithsonian  page can help you plan your trip—from where to stay to what’s happening at the museums.
Parking around the Mall is extremely limited, so visitors are advised to use public transportation. L’Enfant Plaza is the closest Metro station to the Festival site. National Archives, Smithsonian, and Federal Center stations are within a half-mile. For general Smithsonian visitor information, call 202.633.1000 (voice).

Best regards,
Katie Kelel 
katie.kelel at gmail.com