TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Around 10,000 visitors flocked into the arena of New England Indonesian Festival (NEIF) 2016 at Copley Square in Boston, the United States, to enjoy a wide array of dishes, traditional dance, and music from Indonesian.

The NEIF is an annual Indonesian cultural and culinary festival, the largest in New England, held for the fourth time by the Indonesian Students Association in Massachusetts (Permias), New England Indonesian Community Inc. (ICONE, Inc.) and Project Push Pin.

“This year’s concept is 'Our-chipelago' which highlights the beauty of nature and cultural diversity of Indonesia’s six major islands,” said the president of Massachusetts Permias Emanuel Rio Atmadja in a written statement on Wednesday, Oct. 12, as quoted by Antara.

Opened by Consul General of the Republic of Indonesia Abdul Kadir Jailani, the NEIF 2016 featured various Indonesian cultures, such as from Betawi, Lampung, Java and Kalimantan, which was performed by New Hampshire-based Indonesian dance studio Nusantara Kreasindo, as well as gamelan and kecapi recital by Dance of Illinois and an angklung show.

Meanwhile, Co-Founder & President of ICONE, Inc. Olla Chas said that the NEIF 2016 is not only aimed at introducing Indonesian cultural variety to Americans but also strengthening the nationalism of Indonesian diaspora in the United States towards the country’s economic development and modern democracy.

ANTARA