Dipowinatan Residents Hold Merti Golong Gilig, Free UMKM Snacks Distributed

Residents of Kampung Dipowinatan, Keparakan Subdistrict, held the Merti Golong Gilig tradition, or folk festival, on Tuesday (18/8/2026). The annual event serves as an expression of gratitude while strengthening community bonds following the merger of three neighbourhood units (RW) into one area.

The series of Merti Golong Gilig activities began with a procession carrying rolls containing various snacks produced by local UMKM (micro, small and medium enterprises). The rolls were then paraded around the village before proceeding with the Tali Sada ceremony and the folk festival.

Chairman of RW 01 Dipowinatan, Arif Cahya, said Merti Golong Gilig is an annual event held every 18 August. The tradition was first initiated around 2015 as a form of thanksgiving by residents.

“There is the Merti Golong Gilig activity, or folk festival. It is a thanksgiving related to the merger of three RWs into one,” said Arif.

The rolls paraded in the event may consist of arem-arem or bakpau.

Arif explained that all snacks provided at the folk festival can be enjoyed free of charge by residents. The food is the result of community self-help efforts in each RT, which contributed various food menus for the event.

“Everything is free for residents and it is self-funded by the community in each RT,” he said.

The tradition, Arif continued, is a culture passed down by village elders. Residents maintain it as a form of gratitude, with each household contributing food or dishes to be enjoyed together.

During the event, residents enthusiastically joined the procession of rolls carried around the village. After the Tali Sada ceremony concluded, the rolls were then scrambled for by residents. The atmosphere grew even livelier as residents enjoyed the various snacks provided free of charge at the event site.