RI partakes in Edmonton's Klondike Days

RI partakes in Edmonton's Klondike Days

By Danielle Bray

JAKARTA (JP): Amid the cotton candy, ferris wheel and bustling
crowds, Indonesia displayed its cultural wonders during Klondike
Days 2000, a yearly trade exhibition held in Edmonton, Alberta,
Canada. The event began on July 20 and the fireworks finale took
place on July 29.

Klondike Days is an annual 10-day festival that draws over
750,000 visitors each year. The exhibition features a variety of
activities, such as live entertainment, a cash casino, circus,
chuckwagon derby and trade exhibition, along with a midway full
of rides and games. It is a favorite among Edmontonians as well
as attracting international tourists.

Indonesia was allotted two stands inside the trade exhibition
hall, which was transformed into a cultural extravaganza. Many of
the country's artistic assets were showcased to the appreciation
of numerous visitors.

With help from a handful of local sponsors, the Bandung-based
design house Poleng Studio was able to take part in the event.
The studio exhibited an array of clothes made from batik
Indramayu (a small city in West Java), batik Cirebon and Ulos
Batak. The outfits were accompanied by accessories and
handicrafts from the West Java region.

Along with the Poleng Studio collection, the booth also
provided relevant brochures, books, CD-ROMs and Internet sites to
surf. Large posters depicting scenes from Indonesia, including
Borobudur, Prambanan and the rice fields of Ubud, were displayed
for the numerous interested visitors. Batik from various regions,
as well canting (a small brass pot used to make batik), lined the
table, next to an informative brochure that explained the batik-
making process and its importance in Indonesian culture. The
silver jewelry on display appeared to draw the attention of most
of the female patrons. "Beautiful!" they exclaimed.

Edmonton residents Irene and Arn Kenner said, "We both enjoyed
talking to the ladies at the Indonesian booth, they were very
informative about the products on display and about their country
and culture."

Fashion shows featuring Batik Indramayu was held on July 20
and July 21. The show captivated audiences with its display of
casual wear for the modern individual. Poleng Studio used
Canadian models to showcase their designs in a theatrical
performance.

"There were more than 100 spectators ... the audience
applauded when one of the models appeared on stage wearing a West
Java mask," noted Siradji Parwito, the vice consul of Indonesia.

Klondike Days gets its name from the gold rush that took place
in the Klondike region of the Yukon Territory (Northwest Canada)
during the late 1890's. Over 100,000 men and women from all over
the country migrated to the Klondike in search of promised
riches. The rush was viewed as a glowing opportunity in what had
been an economically bleak decade. By today's standards, the gold
discovered in the Klondike during these heady would be worth over
US$1 billion.

Klondike Days was established in 1962, when the Edmonton Fair
was renamed to honor this event in Canadian history. The fair was
initially started in 1879 by the Agricultural Association, and
was primarily a livestock exhibition.

Patrons of Klondike Days are encouraged to wear outfits from
the late 1890's. Kate Rogers, the marketing director for the
Klondike Association, explained: "Klondike wear for ladies is
traditionally long dresses with hoops or layers, fancy hats,
short white gloves and parasols ... men wear long jackets with
tails over fancy vests, bolo ties or suspenders."

The fair incorporated an Annual Feature Country, International
Trade and Cultural Show in 1986. The aim was to promote awareness
of different cultures and identities, and has proven to be a very
beneficial addition to the exhibition.

Countries from across the globe have been featured since this
international aspect was added to the fair 14 years ago,
including New Zealand, Thailand, Russia, Mexico and Great
Britain. This year, Canada was the featured country, in an event
called Proudly Canada. The exhibition focused on Canadian
culture, its culinary arts, history and opportunities.

Next year, Klondike Days will host Indonesia as its feature
country. In order to introduce the country to fair participants,
Marlis Syamsuddin, Indonesia's consulate general, invited Poleng
Studio to take part in this year's event. "One of the reasons we
chose (Poleng Studio) is so we could promote Indonesia through
one of our strongest export commodities, namely textiles and
textile products," he remarked.

Indonesia's participation in next year's fair as the feature
country will provide it the opportunity to promote its tourism,
investment, trade, export products, culture, art and cuisine.

Next year, Indonesia will be given 50 booths (5,400 square
meters), which will no doubt be a welcome experience for those
involved.

"The news about Indonesia's plan to participate as the 2001
feature country is already well known ... even a taxi driver in
downtown Edmonton knew that we were featured next year!"
exclaimed Siradji Parwito.

"We look forward to seeing what Indonesia will be putting on
display next year," commented Irene Kenner. "I'm sure it will be
wonderful!"

With Indonesia's recent political and economic strife etched
into the minds of many outsiders, there is no doubt an event such
as Klondike Days 2001 will be of great importance in improving
the global perception of the country. For more information on the
event, please visit www.northlands.park/klondike_days