"The annual Mahakam Festival 2011 is a stepping stone to organizing a national event in 2013 and we hope the festival will be of great success as it was in the past years," Nazarudin said.
He said the main target of Mahakam Festival this year was the local event of Samarinda, followed by regional event of East Kalimantan in 2012, and national event in 2013.
"The Mahakam Festival will last from November 11-15, 2011 but it will be preceded by a number of related activities starting September," Nazarudin said in the company of his secretary HM Faisal.
Meanwhile, Faisal said Mahakam Festival would be launched in September, followed by pre-Mahakam Festival in October, and the main festival on November 11-15, 2011 at Mahakam river bank.
Faisal said the launch of the festival would be enlivened with entertainment stage, national sports day stroll, cultural stage, traffic ambassador, concert, fun bike, and Mahakam cleanup activity.
According to him, the funds for the three-month event to attract both domestic and foreign tourists came from regional budget and from private parties in Samarinda.
"Through the festival, we want to preserve and promote the local arts and cultural diversity in our effort to step up the tourism sector in the province," he said.
(Uu.O001/HAJM/A014)
Editor: Priyambodo RH
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
