In the spirit of Idul Fitri, which falls close to Jakarta’s 491st anniversary, Indonesia’s 73rd Independence Day and the Asian Games, Ancol Dreamland Park is slated to host Ancol Asian Festival from June to August in several different venues. Kompas.com reported that there would be three major events at the festival, namely the Nusantara Festival, Kampung Betawi Festival, Asian Lantern Festival and Ancol Triathlon Kemerdekaan Festival.
Ancol Nusantara Festival (Ancol Archipelago Festival)
This is a cultural festival featuring art performances from Aceh to Papua. A number of artists are also set to create ethnic sculptures to be showcased at a few spots on Ancol beach. Meanwhile, in conjunction with the anniversary of Jakarta, which is celebrated every June, a special parade of ondel-ondel (giant Betawi effigies) will be held. Events will also be held as a tribute to Benyamin Sueb, a multi-talented Betawi artist who was a comedian, actor, director and composer.
The event is set to include an ondel-ondel procession along Ancol Lagoon beach, pencak silat, Lenong Betawi (traditional Betawi theater), and the Palang Pintu ritual (a wedding ritual comprising pantun, a traditional form of repetitive prose, and a symbolic pencak silat duel). Vacationers will be able to attend this festival from June 13 to July 15 at Ancol Lagoon beach.
Kampung Betawi Festival (Betawi Kampong Festival)
Ancol Art Market, the cultural center of the area, is set to be transformed into a Betawi kampong. Ancol Dreamland Park’s management team will set up the venue to accommodate visitors so that they can explore Betawi culture, arts and craft as well as culinary delights. Special performances of Betawi artists performing lenong and giving traditional music performances such as gambang kromong, keroncong and marawis are scheduled for weekends from June 15 to August 31.
Asian Lantern Festival
Promoting Asian cultures, this festival is set to showcase lanterns in the form of heritage buildings and Asian characters. Boats decorated with ethnic touches will also parade around Festival beach, while vacationers can enjoy tea and coffee with Asian flavors at Ancol monument. Slated to be centered at Festival beach, the event will be held from July 29 to September 2.
Ancol Triathlon and Kemerdekaan (Independence) Festival
The sporting contest and Independence Day festival are scheduled to end the month-long festivities. Teuku Sahir Syahali, vice president director of PT Pembangunan Jaya Ancol said to Kompas.com on Thursday that the triathlon would be a friendly race with a fun concept for vacationers.
Ancol is also set to hold traditional Independence Day games such as panjat pinang, in which contestants race to climb to the top of trimmed palm tree trunks to reach the prizes at the top. There will be 188 palm trees to climb.
Source&image: TheJakartaPost
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