The celebration of Jakarta'€™s 488th anniversary, scheduled for June 22, has kicked off with various events, including the Jakarta Fair (PRJ Kemayoran), the Jakarta Folk Fair (PRJ Senayan) and the Jakarta Creative Products Week (PPKD).

More than 1,000 people, mostly from Jakarta, enthusiastically flocked to the Jakarta International Expo in Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, for the second day of the PRJ on Saturday.

They enjoyed seeing various exhibitions ranging from automotive and home appliances to fashion, food, music and even a theme park.   

Some of the visitors were lured to exhibitions on healthy living, such as a booth that gave free blood tests and another that sold juices and gave product demos.

There was even a vendor that sold electric scooters for the elderly.   
Novi, a resident of Kebon Jeruk in West Jakarta who took the free blood test, said she was surprised that she had high cholesterol as she was just 29.

'€œI think the test was very good as I became aware of the condition of my health,'€ she said.
PRJ public relation head Hadi said the festival set a realistic target of 5 million visitors and Rp 5 trillion in revenue, the same as last year, largely due to the slowing economy.

The festival runs for 38 days until July 5 and takes place on weekdays from 4:30 p.m. to 10 p.m., Fridays from 4.30 p.m. to 11 p.m. and weekends and holidays from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Free shuttle buses are provided from Kemayoran Station, Kemayoran low-cost rental apartments, the National Monument and Mangga Dua.

Unlike the PRJ in Kemayoran which charges visitors from
Rp 20,000 (US$1.50) to Rp 30,000, PRJ Senayan in South Jakarta, held from Saturday to Friday, is free of charge and the committee said that they welcomed a wider market, including low-income communities.

PRJ Senayan committee head Grace RR Mangundap said during the opening on Saturday that the event aimed to help middle- and low-income residents enjoy good-quality entertainment for free.

Grace said there were at least 1,200 booths at the event. '€œNine hundred of them are for small and medium enterprises,'€ she said.

The committee planned to present various musical performances from 130 musicians and entertainers like Wali, dangdut singer Zaskia Gotik, Kerispatih, The Virgin, Saint Loco and D'€™Cinnamons.

The first day of the fair, however, had few visitors. The visitors only seemed to start arriving in the late afternoon, although it opened at 10 a.m.

Maulina Dyah Permatasari, a 29-year-old entrepreneur who sells crafts made of rattan, said that she did not expect high returns from the fair. '€œI am still learning how to run my business. I just hope that I can introduce my products,'€ she said.

The city administration also held the PPKD in Banteng field in Central Jakarta for five days, starting Friday.

Jakarta Governor Basuki '€œAhok'€ Tjahaja Purnama, who opened PPKD on Friday, said that many Jakartans were creative and that the city aimed to facilitate such individuals in showcasing their products.
Industry and Energy Agency chief Haris Pindratno said that 247 entrepreneurs would participate in the event, selling goods from home technology products, food and clothing to handicrafts and agate stones.

Other programs include the Jakarta Fashion and Food Festival in Summarecon, Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta. The city will also hold its annual international 10-kilometer run on Sunday morning. (rbk)

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