KOTA SAMARAHAN: The Samarahan Food & Cultural Festival (SFCF) kicked off on Friday (May 10) at Aiman Mall here.
It was declared open by the Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister, Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.
The festival features 57 stalls offering a variety of food, beverages, cakes and dry foods.
Highlights of the ceremony included the Thousand Beats dance, a 24 Season Drum Performance (Chinese), the Pampat Iban Drum, and the Kompang Performance, alongside performances by guest artists Suzie Kay and Rizal Ayub.
New Sarawak Tribune spoke with several handicraft artists to gather their insights on the festival and to highlight the range of crafts showcased.
Caroline Ruran Joseph, 56, a first-time participant and handicraft maker, was delighted at the event.
“This is my first time participating in this event, and I found it to be the most beautiful experience because of the variety of things exhibited. If such an event is held in the Kota Samarahan area in the future, I should participate.
“As a handicraft maker, I wish to promote unique handicrafts. This is not the typical craft we find; it’s an Orang Ulu craft. I will also endeavour to promote our handicrafts to the public, which implies rebranding the handicrafts we create so that they do not become extinct because the current generation is less interested in traditional handicrafts,” she said.
Fedrick Ding, 29, another handicraft maker, said, “In my perspective, this festival is extremely active, and we can see people from Kota Samarahan, Kuching, and Asajaya all together, enlivening it.”
“The majority of Sarawak’s handicrafts are produced by indigenous communities that pass down traditional arts and industrial processes from generation to generation.
“Sarawak’s various tribes produce unique handcrafted items. If knowledge and abilities are not preserved and passed down to future generations, some traditional handicrafts from certain ethnic groups may become extinct. As a result, every young generation in Sarawak should be encouraged to learn this trade,” he added.
The festival ends on May 19.
