The Smithsonian metro stop is always busy, mostly with tourists equipped with fanny packs and huge water bottles. Even without the fanny pack, you can tell they’re not from around here. They’re not dressed like “DC– ites”, in business/smart casual (even on the weekends). And they don’t have that urgency for getting to places on time. They’re here for ‘fun.’ You can tell. The SALDEF team was headed to the Smithsonian stop for the Smithsonian’s annual Folklore Festival hosted on the grounds of the National Mall. The Festival had been going on for about a week now and was scheduled until Monday, July 5th. It was an interesting arrangement of Asian, Southeast Asian, and Mexican culture. Today was what I would call “Sikh day.”
As we exited the metro, we were greeted by the sound of kirtan by the sangat of the Guru Gobind Singh Ji Foundation. I hadn’t gone to Gurdwara in DC yet and all of sudden, Gurdwara had come to me. It was ridiculously cool, for lack of a better word. Here we were, surrounded by tourists with their fanny packs and water bottles who were sitting down to hear our kirtan, and genuinely interested in it. It was a proud moment for me. We took the opportunity to pass out Who are the Sikhs brochures and Sikh Information Cards.
After the kirtan was over, we walked around the festival for a bit. There was a turban-tying tent, a mehndi area, Punjabi cooking tent and a learn-how-to-write-your-name-in-Punjabi area. People were lining up for everything and I was really impressed with the curiosity and interest they had for the Sikh religion and Punjabi culture. It was a great opportunity to educate the public about who Sikhs are in a very interactive way where people were receptive to what we had to show and say. 
Coming to you from 1413 K Street, Jasleen K. Singh