Punters crowd fare but fireworks fizzle
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
No fireworks lit up the sky over the Jakarta Fair on Wednesday evening -- as promised by the organizers -- but at least 30,000 people showed up to celebrate the city's 478th anniversary.
"There are already fireworks and laser shows at the National Monument (Monas) park and Ancol Dreamland ... We don't want to compete ... We prefer to postpone our display until Sunday evening," said Hartati Murdaya, president director of fair organizer Jakarta International Expo.
The fair's project director, Ralph Scheunemann, said the possibility of rain had persuaded organizers to postpone the fireworks display.
Live dangdut music instead stole the show, with popular singers, such as Iyet Bustami and Nita Thalia, livening things up.
The fair's 830 participants also held special events at their stands, from handing out prizes and vouchers to a competition for the best costume among the crowd.
One of the best stands, Kampung Betawi (the village of native Jakartans), featured the Gambang Kromong music ensemble and traditional Betawi dances.
While 315,289 visitors have passed through the fair gates since it opened six days ago, 32,842 tickets sold on Wednesday.
However, Scheunemann estimated the actual number of people at the fair on Wednesday was more like 100,000.
He explained organizers had arranged free entrance for military and police officers, charitable organizations and foundations, people aged 60 and above and children under the age of five.
On weekdays, about 30,000 people visited the fair, while on weekends or special days, such as the anniversary, the number rose considerably. Organizers had set a target of 2.5 million visitors for this year's fair, an increase of 2.5 percent from last year's visitors.
Scheunemann said the high attendance reflected increased public confidence in the fair's security.
"The number of security officers on duty has allowed us to provide good service," he said.
The fair committee used a layered security system, dividing the fair into three rings. Ring one for outside the fair ground, ring two for the parking lot, and ring three for the fair ground itself. About 1,000 security personnel will stand by for the duration of the fair.
During the opening ceremony on June 16, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono expressed concern over security issues and urged Governor Sutiyoso and the fair organizer to anticipate and prevent such problems. (006)