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Festival of Cultures: Explore ¡Puro Ritmo! and Create Maracas

Stories We Share: The Courage to Connect // Learning Lab

Celebrate the 6th Annual Festival of Cultures with educators from the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Latino! You will enjoy activity exploring how the maraca and güiro have evolved over time.

Afterward, you'll have the opportunity to unleash your creativity by making your own instruments using a variety of craft supplies. Let’s shake things up and get the beat going! This activity is suitable for toddlers and up. This program is great for ages 3 and up.

Inspired by ¡Puro Ritmo! The Musical Journey of Salsa, the bilingual exhibition explores how Afro-Cuban music evolved into a signature sound in the United States and traces the roots and rise of salsa music through nearly 300 objects.

Highlighting artists from Tito Puente and Celia Cruz to local legends and under-the-radar pioneers, ¡Puro Ritmo! celebrates salsa as one of America's great musical traditions.

About Welcoming Week

Welcoming Week is a national effort which connects neighbors of all backgrounds through fun and engaging activities. This year's theme is Stories We Share aims to foster a sense of belonging and community-wide connection. View our past Welcoming Week library events here (ranging from storytime, teen, button making programs as well as library displays and more).