The Smithsonian’s 39th Annual Folklife Festival kicks off today on the Mall and is typically one of the best reasons to venture down to the Mall during the height of the summer tourist season.

“Oman: Desert, Oasis, and Sea” seems to be the most buzzworthy of the featured programs this year. What do you know about Oman (besides that its capital is Muscat)? Way back in the day, this DCist chose Oman for a middle school project, so we’re doubly excited to relearn what we studied back then and expand our horizons on the country.

From the Smithsonian:

“[The program on Oman] will feature over 100 musicians, dancers, craftspeople and cooks representing cultural traditions from the desert, oases and sea.  Sturdy leather and palm leaf milking baskets and decorative wool camel trappings from the Wahiba Sands region are made for easy transport by nomadic desert peoples and will provide a striking contrast to the heavy copper vessels and elaborate silver jewelry produced by craftsmen in the oases towns such as Nizwa, while proud boat builders from the ancient port of Sur will demonstrate skills that made Omani ships renowned throughout the Indian Ocean.”

Then there are other programs involving the U.S. Forest Service, Nuestra Música (music in Latino culture) and then there’s Food Culture USA.

Here’s the complete schedule for the festival, which wraps up on July 4.