President to leave for Bali to open art festival

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono will leave Jakarta for Bali on Friday to open the Bali Art Festival a day later.

Yudhoyono is scheduled to depart from Halim Perdanakusuma Airport at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, accompanied by First Lady Ani Yudhoyono.

Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika has ensured that all products exhibited in the Bali Art Festival to be held between June 12 and July 10 would be “high quality locally made creations”.

The event will be opened by a colorful and vibrant street procession involving hundreds of dancers and musicians, culminating in a ruwatan bumi or a ritual cleansing for the earth aimed at rebalancing human and natural elements, and their creator.

Besides featuring hundreds of performances, seminars and workshops on arts, dance, architecture and film, the festival will also stage exhibit of various Balinese artisans.