| 1. SMITHSONIAN FOLKLIFE FESTIVAL SHORTENED BECAUSE OF SHUTDOWN: Smithsonian Institute has canceled its annual 10-day Folklife Festival and replaced it with a two-day event. The event, originally slated to celebrate the music and culture of Benin and Brazil, was shortened and changed themes, partly because of the government shutdown in January. Washington Post: "Sabrina Motley, director of the festival, said Thursday that initially, crucial funding for the 2019 event arrived later than expected, slowing preparations. 'And once we had those funds, we had the shutdown,' she said. 'The timing was unfortunate.' ... A decision was made to postpone the Brazil and Benin celebration until summer 2020 and do a smaller event this year, Motley said. Next year, the festival will be held June 24-28 and July 1-5. The 2019 festival will be a two-day event, June 29 and 30, focused on the 'Social Power of Music,' in keeping with the Smithsonian-wide 2019 Year of Music theme." 2. HOW RENT THE RUNWAY CATERED TO TIRED SXSW ATTENDEES: For many South by Southwest attendees, there is little opportunity to take breaks and decompress from the festival chaos. This is why Rent the Runway activated a pop-up that invited guests to change their outfits and get their hair and makeup done. The pop-up also allowed the retail clothing rental company to debut a new partnership with West Elm. Adweek: "'As someone who’s been at SXSW for so many years, truthfully, these are the things that we think about like, what do I want when I’m going to a space?' said Gabby Cohen, S.V.P. of brand communications and business development at Rent the Runway. 'I’ve been running around for hours and it’s humid out. I want someone to fix my hair and frankly, I want to sit down for five minutes.' By offering attendees services that allow them to relax in the space—guests could also have their birth chart read by an astrologist and munch on snacks—the brand wanted to be a 'one-stop shop' for tired festivalgoers." 3. BONNAROO PLANS PRE-FESTIVAL TOUR: Organizers for the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival are launching a 14-city tour ahead of the June event. Titled "Ready to Roo," the tour kicks off March 18 and will travel to cities including Atlanta, Nashville, Chicago, Washington, and Louisville, Kentucky. Billboard: "The tour is designed to bring the Bonnaroo spirit to music fans in their hometowns, and will feature more than 35 pop-up events, including game tournaments, drink specials, and community service projects in select cities. Attendees will have the opportunity to win festival tickets as well as purchase tickets at the previously-tiered price. 'The special thing about Bonnaroo is that our fans have always been as committed to the spirit of the festival as they are to the music,' said festival co-founder Ashley Capps in a statement. 'These unifying activities create a sense of community that transcends their time at the festival, and the service projects in select cities underscore Bonnaroo’s focus on social good and ‘radiating positivity,’ which is part of the Bonnaroovian code.'" | 