Residents objected to Kemang Festival: Organizer

The Kemang Festival, which kicked off on Saturday, received objections from local residents due to the noise and the traffic jams, the organizer has admitted.

Andina Sabri, the event coordinator, said she was grateful the initiator, Kitapoenya Production, had managed to hold the festival despite the early disagreement from Kemang residents.

“We struggle to hold the festival each year because we always get objections from the residents. They don’t like the noise or the traffic jams,” she told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.

However, she said her team had held a series of meetings with representatives of the residents to assure them that the community would benefit from the annual event.

“We convinced them that they would be able to showcase their products because we provide them with free booths,” she said.

The two-day festival, that goes on from 9 a.m. until 10 p.m., features over 300 booths displaying various kinds of clothes, antiques, accessories, snacks, food and beverages. It also features musical performances, marching bands, street magicians and fireworks.