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Jakarta's Pasar Malam upgraded for larger market
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The Kampung Ramadhan carnival in Season City, West Jakarta, will be held until June 10. (JP/Steven)
J
akarta’s pasar malam (night market) is no longer seen as middle-lower class entertainment, because uptown kids now also enjoy the affordable amusement rides.
Seasons City — a mall in Tambora, West Jakarta — is holding a night market during Ramadhan in collaboration with Perdanaria Jakarta, a company that focuses on night markets.
It is also providing amusement rides such as mini carousels, swing boats and a Ferris wheel for customers’ entertainment.
Yovan, a seventh grader at Bunda Hati Kudus private school, rode a swing boat with two friends after watching a movie at the mall. By paying Rp 15,000 (US$ 1.06), they enjoyed the ride for about 10 minutes.
Unlike a modern ride that is operated by a machine, the swing boat is manually operated by an attendant who controls the movement of the ride by pushing a pedal with his foot.
“The swing boat is quite fun. This is the first time I tried the ride.
“I usually prefer to go to an indoor amusement park,” Yovan told The Jakarta Post on Friday.
The rides not only attract children, but young adults like Mila, 20, a resident of Kebun Jeruk, West Jakarta, as well. She went on the Ferris wheel with her friend.
Mila, who just finished shopping, said she was happy seeing the Ferris wheel at the mall.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been on a Ferris wheel. The amusement rides here are very good,” she added.
Just like any night market, customers can buy food at several tents set up close to the rides.
Similar venues can be found at other malls in Greater Jakarta, such as Cibubur Junction Mall and Lippo Kramatjati in East Jakarta, Bintaro Plaza in South Tangerang and Metropolis Town Square in Tangerang.
Perdanaria Jakarta owner Dedy Syt, a Jatinegara resident, said night markets have been transformed to reach a wider audience.
The transformation began about five years ago when several owners established the Indonesia Night Market Business Owners Association.
Dedy had to learn that to survive he had to change how he managed the amusement rides.
Many people discredited night markets equating it with dirty and rusty rides.
The dim light in the ticket box also made people doubt the entertainment value, he added.
Therefore, Dedy decided to change the image of the night market by providing aesthetic carnival rides and improving the attendants’ appearance, such as asking them to wear uniforms, shoes and ID cards.
He also decorated the ticket box and installed LED lights to attract customers.
The concept worked and Perdanaria successfully ran night markets at Summarecon Mall in Bekasi and at other malls in Greater Jakarta.
“Doing business in malls is different from doing business in the kampung. For example, we have to immediately fix the peeling paints on the rides. We also maintain the rides every week,” Dedy said.
As a result, the business could earn between Rp 600 million to Rp 700 million ($49,684) per month, Dedy said.
Despite its success he is not planning on changing the name of the business from pasar malam to carnival or circus because it would change the spirit of the event.
