Betawi festival opens on Jl. Jaksa

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)