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