Are you looking for something to do with the family this summer? Why not plan a trip to the National Mall in Washington, DC, for the annual (and FREE) Smithsonian Folklife Festival? This year's festival dates are June 27 - July 1 and July 4 - July 8. Along with hands-on exhibits, food, and music, you'll be able to view portions of the AIDS quilt, which will be exhibited to mark the 25th anniversary of this moving fabric memorial.
Here are some facts about the AIDS Memorial Quilt:
- The quilt extends for 1.3 million square feet and weighs over 54 tons.
- It would take 33 days to view the entire AIDS Memorial Quilt, spending only one minute per panel.
- More than 91,000 names are incorporated into The Quilt.
- Quilt panels are assembled from a variety of materials, both conventional and unconventional. These include, for example, Barbie dolls, car keys, bubble wrap, Legos, tennis shoes, credit cards, and a Sony Walkman.
- On average, one new panel is added to The Quilt every day of the year.