BIGGEST INDONESIAN FESTIVAL IN THE U.S. CELEBRATES 75 YEARS OF U.S.-INDONESIA RELATIONS

The Festival on Pennsylvania Avenue will showcase Indonesian culture, including music, dance, food, crafts, and a fashion show.

WASHINGTON, D.C., UNITED STATES, August 1, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia is proud to announce its first-ever U.S. festival, The WOW Indonesia! Festival, coming to Washington, D.C., to commemorate a significant milestone - 75 years of Indonesia-U.S. bilateral relations. The Festival will be held on Sunday, August 25, 2024, from 10:00 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Pennsylvania Avenue NW between 3rd & 7th Streets.

“This Festival is a wonderful chance for us to celebrate 75 years of relations between our country and the United States,” explains Chargé d’Affaires Sade Bimantara. “We are also excited to showcase all that our country, which is called the ‘Land of Diversity,’ has to offer with the many ethnic groups, languages, and cultures that stretch across our 17,500 islands. We welcome those familiar with our history, culture, food, music, and products to this event and look forward to introducing those who aren’t yet familiar with our nation’s sights, sounds, and tastes.”

The WOW Indonesia! Festival 2024 will showcase the best of Indonesia on two stages through a wide array of performances that include music, dance, a fashion show, a massive cultural parade, elaborate Indonesian costumes, Pencak Silat martial art, and more. Highlights on the performer’s stage will include:

● A traditional dance with a 100-person parade choreographed by Eko Supriyanto, a former dancer for Madonna.
● Peni Candra Rini, an Indonesian composer and singer who performs crossover between traditional ethnic and contemporary music.
● Kristin D., an American who sings Dangdut, the famous pop music genre in Indonesia
● Performances featuring traditional Indonesian instruments including the Gamelan (percussion ensemble from Central Java), the Angklung (bamboo tubes attached to a bamboo frame from West Java), the Kolintang from North Sulawesi (a percussion instrument featuring wooden blades) and ethnic flutes.
● Martial art schools from D.C., Maryland and Virginia demonstrating Pencak Silat, traditional Indonesian Martial Arts.

There will also be 100+ booths showcasing Indonesian arts and crafts and demonstrations, including batik workshop, cooking demo, martial arts and performances, games, hands-on activities, and prizes. Visitors will also be able to taste a wide array of Indonesian food and drinks including, Indonesian specialty coffee, satay (skewered meat), beef rendang (caramelized beef curry voted among the most delicious food by CNN Travel), Tempeh (Indonesian super food from fermented soy bean), Indonesian desserts, pastries, and more. Admission to the Festival is free, but advanced registration is recommended through Eventbrite.

The Festival follows Indonesia Independence Day, a national holiday celebrated each year on August 17, commemorating the day Indonesia proclaimed its independence in 1945. The United States was among the early countries to establish diplomatic relations with Indonesia in 1949.

Follow @wowindonesiafestival on Instagram and Facebook, and learn more at wow-indonesia.com.

The Embassy will host a Media Day in advance of the Festival. Interested journalists and news organizations should contact Laura Evans Media to attend.

Sheila Jaskot
Laura Evans Media
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