Youth Enthusiasm Marks Peak of 2026 Serangan Penjor Festival
Youth representatives from the traditional banjars in Serangan Village, Denpasar, Bali, participated enthusiastically in the peak series of the 2026 Serangan Village Penjor Festival. This third iteration of the penjor competition was organised to celebrate the Puja Wali Pura Dalem Sakenan, as well as the Galungan and Kuningan holidays.
The festival was held through a collaboration between PT Bali Turtle Island Development (BTID), the manager of the Kura Kura Bali Special Economic Zone (SEZ), and the youth from the traditional banjars in Serangan Village. This year, members of the youth organisations (sekaa teruna) from each banjar were also involved as the organising committee.
“The excitement this year is that the committee members are from our own youth organisations (STT). We worked on this together,” said Ni Putting Sherinita, one of the Penjor Festival committee members from Banjar Kawan Serangan, in a written statement on Thursday (25/6/2026).
“With this committee structure, we have become better acquainted with one another across different banjars, as the committee is not drawn from just one single banjar,” she added.
The execution of the Penjor Festival attracted the attention of tourists visiting the Serangan area. Many were keen to observe and capture photographs of the magnificent rows of penjor created by the youth of Serangan Village.
The penjor creations from Banjar Dukuh, Peken, Ponjok, Kawan, and Kaja Serangan were not only aesthetically stunning but also adhered strictly to the philosophical principles of the penjor, symbolising gratitude and prosperity to the universe.
The Head of the Serangan Traditional Village, I Nyoman Gede Pariatha, expressed his appreciation for the enthusiasm of the Serangan youth in participating in the competition. He noted that the youth representatives from the five banjars showed great dedication in crafting their respective penjor.
“They truly wanted to showcase their skills in this festival and demonstrate their very best. The preparations were quite lengthy; some took one month, others two months, with the bamboo already prepared in each banjar,” said Pariatha.
Pariatha mentioned that the implementation of the Serangan Penjor Festival was initially initiated by BTID. “We in the traditional village encouraged and supported this, including providing funding from the village council. We provided operational funding from the start,” he added.
The Head of the Communications Department at BTID, Zefri Alfaruqy, stated that involving the youth of Serangan Village as the festival committee is one of BTID’s efforts to empower and help hone the creativity of young people in developing organisational skills.
“Seeing the dedication and hard work of the Yowana friends today is truly moving and a source of pride. This festival serves as a stage to prove their creativity and is an applied manifestation of the Creative Event Management Lab programme, designed by the Kura Kura Bali SEZ in collaboration with the UID Bali Campus,” said Zefri.
“We hope that the presence of the Kura Kura Bali SEZ can continue to grow alongside the community. Our greatest hope is that this direct experience can serve as a foundation so that the younger generation is prepared to stand independently and become empowered hosts in their own village,” he added.
For the record, the penjor competition involved three judges, including representatives from the Bali Provincial Culture Office and art practitioners from Ubud and Kesiman. Based on the jury’s assessment, the penjor created by ST Panca Yasa from Banjar Ponjok emerged as the first winner. Second place was awarded to ST Hredaya (Banjar Dukuh), and third place went to ST Satya Witra (Banjar Kawan).