Monday, February 16, 2009

The American Festivals Project

The American Festivals Project, partially funded by a National Geographic Young Explorer’s Grant, is led by photographers Ross McDermott and Andrew Owen.

The project explores America’s variety of small-town festivals, with the aim of discovering a rich diversity of culture that has in part remained hidden. Traveling in a truck powered by Waste Vegetable Oil, and living in a 1964 truck camper, Ross and Andrew are covering an extensive array of unique festival life from forty-nine of America’s states.

So far, AFP has covered the Prison Rodeo, Machine Gun Shootout, and NY's Idiotarod, among other festivals and events.  You can check in on the blog for updates on their newest adventures.

I love the whole idea of this project.  I've take a few road trips, and sometimes it seems like the only way to tell you're someplace new, is when the accents in the drive through change.  Its nice to know there are still unique pockets of culture out there, and that someone is trying to document them.  So join the ride.

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