There was a two-day celebration of Lunar New Year 2025 for the Year of the Wood Snake at Asia Plaza. There were performances,information booths, vendors, community resources, photo opps and, of course, food! A highlight was the first time performance by ladies from the island of Bali in Indonesia.
Indonesia Balinese Dancers
Members of the Indonesian community joined them by the map of Bali
Indonesian Community at One World Day in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens
The Cleveland Indonesian community demonstrated their proud heritage at One World Day in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens. One World Day has been the official event of the Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation since 1946. The Indonesian community participated in the Parade of Flags which had 1500 people from over 53 countries.
After the Parade they hosted visitors to (hopefully) the future home of an Indonesian Cultural Garden.
At One World Day we had to ask about the beautiful formal Indonesian dress from the island of Bali. It's worn for important occasions like weddings and dances. Watch the video.
Record Setting 2024 Cleveland Asian Festival
The 2024 Cleveland Asian Festival was a rousing success. Almost 50,000 people attended the annual 2 day festival that included performances, food, cultural displays, health screenings, games, kids and family activities and more.
Asia Plaza roof shot of crowd at Cleveland Asian Festival
There were traditional and modern performances on two stages. There was something for everyone. Younger people really liked the Asian Pop Dance Competition. Plenty of martial arts on the second stage. And so on.
The Cleveland Indonesian community demonstrated their heritage at One World Day in the Cleveland Cultural Gardens. One World Day has been the official event of the Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation since 1946. Over 40,000 people visited the gardens on One World Day 2022.
The Filipino community participated in the Parade of Flags
Indonesian community in Parade of Flags
Here is a video of the entire Parade of Flags.
***
Stay informed about the local Indonesian other communities by signing up for the free Cleveland Ethnic eNews mailings. It's easy and free. Fill out the form for the free eNews.
In this episode of Fun with Maps, host Dan Hanson shows the map of the largest archipelago nation in the world - Indonesia. Archipelagos are often volcanic and as you will see, this certainly applies to Indonesia. It consists of more than seventeen thousand islands. You may have heard of Sumatra, Java, New Guinea (Papua), Bali, Borneo and so on. This is Part 1 of 2 so be sure to watch the 2nd part too.
In Part 2 Dan looks at the Ring of Fire, Krakatoa, Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Bali, Papua New Guinea and more. For such a large, populous and important country Dan doesn't remember much study of it in school.
2019
Indonesian community at One World Day
The Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation hosted the 74th annual One World Day on August 25, 2019. Police estimates say that over 30,000 people visited the Gardens and attended One World Day. Though they do not yet have a Cultural Garden, the Indonesian community was well represented.
A highlight of One World Day is the Parade of Flags where people in costumes of their heritage carry the flags. This year was undoubtedly the largest and most colorful in memory.
The Cleveland Cultural Gardens Federation (CCGF) hosted the 73rd annual One World Day on September 16, 2018. A highlight is the Parade of Flags where people in costumes of their heritage carry the flags. The Indonesian community was well-represented in the Parade.
The 2018 Cleveland Asian Festival was another huge success. The 9th annual Cleveland Asian Festival was held on the weekend of May 19 and 20 in Cleveland's AsiaTown neighborhood on Payne Avenue. It has become a not-to-miss annual event with great entertainment, food, shopping and fun.
The Dutch began to colonize Indonesia in the early 17th century; Japan occupied the islands from 1942 to 1945. Indonesia declared its independence shortly before Japan's surrender, but it required four years of sometimes brutal fighting, intermittent negotiations, and UN mediation before the Netherlands agreed to transfer sovereignty in 1949.
A period of sometimes unruly parliamentary democracy ended in 1957 when President SOEKARNO declared martial law and instituted "Guided Democracy." After an abortive coup in 1965 by alleged communist sympathizers, SOEKARNO was gradually eased from power. From 1967 until 1988, President SUHARTO ruled Indonesia with his "New Order" government. After rioting toppled SUHARTO in 1998, free and fair legislative elections took place in 1999.
Indonesia is now the world's third most populous democracy, the world's largest archipelagic state, and the world's largest Muslim-majority nation. Current issues include: alleviating poverty, improving education, preventing terrorism, consolidating democracy after four decades of authoritarianism, implementing economic and financial reforms, stemming corruption, reforming the criminal justice system, holding the military and police accountable for human rights violations, addressing climate change, and controlling infectious diseases, particularly those of global and regional importance.
In 2005, Indonesia reached a historic peace agreement with armed separatists in Aceh, which led to democratic elections in Aceh in December 2006. Indonesia continues to face low intensity armed resistance in Papua by the separatist Free Papua Movement.
Profiles of Indonesians in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio
If you know of a Cleveland Indonesian who should be profiled, please let us know.
ClevelandPeople.Com - Indonesian Ambassadors
Read more about the Indonesian and other Ambassadors. If you are interested in being considered to be an official ClevelandPeople.com Ambassador to the Cleveland Indonesian community, please contact us.
