For four days, the region of Karo — one of North Sumatra’s main tourist destinations, wellknown for its cool temperatures — successfully held another edition of its annual Flowers and Fruits festival.

Thousands of people attended this year’s festival, which took place at the Mejuah-Juah Park in Berastagi and ended on Sunday, having featured numerous attractions comprising artists and traditional art performances.

Previously, the festival’s official name was the “Thanksgiving Party,” which celebrated the residents’ gratitude for a successful harvest season. Over the years, it began to attract more and more tourists, which spurred residents to rename the event.

Under its new name, the festival is part of a traditional religious ritual in which locals prepare tasty food and don colorful traditional dresses to celebrate the harvest season in jubilation.
Its locale only adds to the merriments, as Karo — located 70 kilometers from the provincial capital of Medan — offers captivating vistas and cool breezes.

The average temperature in Karo is between 17 and 20 degrees Celcius, suitable for its land to produce quality vegetables, fruits and flowers. Farming products are locally known as bumi turang and are mainly distributed across Java Island, with exports to Singapore and Malaysia.

However, for the last seven years, the production capacity of local farmers has been disrupted by regular eruptions from nearby Mount Sinabung, which has also heavily impacted the region’s tourism sector.

Therefore, the local government has been working to improve and promote the Flowers and Fruits Festival. [yan]