The hustle and bustle that filled just across the iconic Central Park on E 68th street came from none other than the Indonesian Street Festival held on Saturday, August 31, 2019 by the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in New York. With the theme “SEVENTYBRATION – Celebrating Diversity, Partnership and Prosperity,” the festival is to commemorate both the 74th year of Indonesian Independence and 70 years of Indonesia – United States diplomatic relations.
The festival offered mouthwatering Indonesian cuisine from different regions though 31 different vendors, including the chicken satay that left visitors lining up after inhaling its aroma. Visitors could also buy Indonesian handicrafts, batik, and find much information about what the Indonesian community in New York has to offer. As they explore the food options during the festival, the visitors were able to watch cultural performances by dance troupe Saung Budaya, martial arts group Bangau Putih, and Balawan and Batuan Ethnic together with the Berklee Indonesian Ensemble that presented a new nuance of Indonesian traditional music through Jazz.
Supporting ISF, BNI New York also took part in the festival, opening a booth to meet with the Indonesian diaspora who wanted to learn about BNI and questions on investing in Indonesia with General Manager Aidil Azhar and team. Indonesian citizens were also able to open an account through the booth just by bringing an Indonesian ID that enables them to save in Indonesian Rupiah.