A giant ferris wheel offered amusement at Monas Fair in Jakarta, held July 10th-24th, to celebrate Ramadan. Festivalgoers enjoyed Betawi cuisine, rides, and the chance to browse hundreds of booths displaying the wares of small-scale businesses. [Zahara Tiba/Khabar]

This year, Jakarta celebrated Ramadan by hosting Monas Fair, an inaugural festival of cuisine, arts and culture at Jakarta's iconic National Monument (Monas) from July 10th-24th.

The festival was a boon for small-scale businesses. Hundreds of vendors displayed their wares daily from 2:00-8:00 pm. Sales were brisk, and many found new customers.

Marianah Umar, who produces baju kurung (traditional dresses) and accessories, was able to sell about ten pieces a day, she said. Items in her baju kurung collection started at Rp. 200,000 ($20).

"We are so excited to be a part of this festival. It is a good moment for entrepreneurs like me to introduce our products," the 65-year-old told Khabar Southeast Asia.

"It is only a part of the collections I have in my shop in Cempaka Mas mall," she said.

Marianah said many people spent time waiting to break their fast by visiting the festival, both browsing and buying. Many shoppers stayed on past the official closing time of 8:00pm.

"I hope to see such festivals held not only during Ramadan, but also in other months," she said.

A woman browses among accessories and lamps made from seashells at a booth at Monas Fair. Business owner Cici Sri Sulastri, 30, started the small-scale enterprise while at university. She said the fair helped introduce her products to more people. [Zahara Tiba/Khabar]

Cici Sri Sulastri is another business owner who tried her luck during the festival, introducing her line of handicrafts made from seashells, Citra Handicraft.

Cici started her business at university, back in the early 2000s. "The university had a programme for its students to start small business projects. At first, I produced souvenirs for weddings. I chose seashells because we have a lot of raw materials we can find in Jakarta Bay and the Kepulauan Seribu district," the 30-year-old told Khabar.

She developed her business by recruiting friends to help increase production. These days, she exports some of her products overseas, including to Ukraine.

"Demand has increased rapidly. So, I have to import the raw materials from outside Jakarta. We also opened another shop, besides the old one on Pramuka Island," she said.

"[The festival] really helps me introduce my products to more people," she said.

Prices for her products were reasonable: Table lamps ranged from Rp. 100,000 ($10) to Rp. 250,000 ($25), while accessories started at Rp. 10,000 ($1).

Marita Sari, one of the festival visitors, praised Cici's products.

"They are so unique and beautiful, and made from seashells. And you can buy them for cheap prices," said the 30-year-old visitor.

"I think Jakarta needs more festivals like this to bring together local entrepreneurs. Most of all, we need an event like this where Jakarta residents can spend their leisure time outside rather than in malls," she added.

With an entry fee of only Rp. 15,000 ($1.50), the festival offered boat rides, swings, and a giant ferris wheel. Visitors were also welcome to enjoy lantern shows at the Korean Lantern Park.

Festivalgoers could also sample traditional Betawi cuisine, which is rarely found nowadays. The fare included toge goreng, made from bean sprouts mixed with fermented peanut sauce and other ingredients, and kerak telor, a spicy omelet dish made from glutinous rice mixed with eggs and served with fried, shredded coconut.