Betawi festival opens on Jl. Jaksa

JAKARTA (JP): Once again Jl. Jaksa, a Central Jakarta street well-known among the foreign backpacking brigade, is hosting a cultural festival called Pesta Jl. Jaksa '96, from July 31 to Aug. 4.

The festival began yesterday afternoon with a parade from the Hotel Sari Pan Pacific on Jl. M.H. Thamrin to Jl. Jaksa, followed by the official opening by Governor Surjadi Soedirdja.

This was not as well attended as organizers had expected. It was not clear whether security measures had dampened people's enthusiasm for the street carnival.

Dancers, a couple of traditional ondel-ondel puppets and horse-carts were part of the procession.

Visitors can enjoy traditional Betawi, or native Jakarta, food until 9 p.m in the area.

"This year we are not serving foreign food such as pizza," said T. Ismoejanto, the head of the organizing committee.

However compared to last year's festival, the merchandise visible on stands is mostly modern, ordinary fare such as garments rather than traditional local handicrafts.

Ismoejanto, said some empty stands, due to the late registration by entrants, will hopefully soon be filled.

The organizing committee expected to attract about 50,000 people to visit the five-day festival, which was first held in 1994.

Ismoejanto said the number of visitors to the festival has increased each year.

In 1994, 30,000 visitors jammed the streets and last year there were a total of 40,000 visitors, he said.

He added the festival is also used by Betawi people who used to live on the street as a occasion for reunion with old neighbors.

Organizers include the Betawi cultural council and the mayoralty.

Various games, exhibitions and performances will take place along Jl. Jaksa, on which two stages have been set up. Modern performances, such as a pantomime, are also scheduled.

The festival is also aimed at extending tourists' length of stay in the city from two to five days.

Data from the city tourism agency shows there were a total of 816,281 tourists who arrived in January to June this year. This is a 29.07 percent increase from the 632,396 tourists in the corresponding period last year.

The government targets a total of two million tourists to Jakarta this year, with a total spending of some $3.9 billion, by the end of the current Five-Year Development Plan in March 1999. (yns)