DEPOK — Festival Heritage Depok Lama 2026 is giving small businesses in Depok a bigger stage. Deputy Mayor Chandra Rahmasyah said the city’s first-ever festival is helping grow the UMKM sector by opening space for bazaars, resident interaction, and local product promotion.
Chandra made the remarks in Depok on Sunday while reviewing the festival lineup, which blends cultural parades, history education spaces, and community economic activities. For small traders, an event like this is not just a crowd-puller. It is a sales opportunity. A chance to meet new buyers. And a way to introduce products that usually circulate only in the neighborhood.
Festival Heritage Depok Lama opens a market for UMKM Depok
Chandra said Festival Heritage Depok Lama was designed so people would not only come to watch performances. The festival also offers an experience with economic value. “This activity not only presents a cultural parade, but also becomes a space for resident interaction with history and local economic potential,” Chandra said.
He also urged residents to join the festival, which he described as rich in educational value and empowerment. In his remarks, the event serves as a space to learn the identity of Depok while supporting micro, small, and medium enterprises that rely on direct sales through bazaars and exhibitions.
UMKM participation is visible through the bazaar, which showcases a range of local signature products. From traditional food to handicrafts and other creative products, everything is displayed as proof of Depok’s economic activity. Visitors do not just shop. They can also speak directly with sellers, ask about raw materials, production processes, and the story behind each item on the stall.
That kind of interaction matters. Many local UMKM still depend on offline sales and personal connections with buyers. When a festival creates a managed crowd, products that usually escape attention can get a fresh spotlight. From there, repeat orders and word-of-mouth promotion become more likely.
Bazaars, local food, and product stories draw attention
The bazaar also strengthens the festival as a space for the community economy. Local cuisine, crafts, and creative products are not just displays. They become an entry point for visitors to see the potential of businesses grown from local communities.
Chandra said support for UMKM must be maintained because the sector remains a backbone of local economies. In events like Festival Heritage Depok Lama, that support comes in a simple but direct form: show up, buy, and get to know the business owner. Short path. Big effect.
For Depok residents, the festival also offers a reason to look at Depok Lama not only as a historical area, but also as a meeting point for economic activity. If events like this continue regularly, the impact could widen. Businesses get a market, residents get more shopping choices, and the old district gains new life as a public destination.
Chandra stressed that the festival is not just an entertainment event. “Let’s join Festival Heritage Depok Lama. There is a lot we can see and learn here. This is not just an event, but a space to understand Depok’s identity more deeply,” he said.
Historical Studio YLCC becomes a history education magnet
Beyond the bazaar, the festival also features Historical Studio YLCC. The educational space presents Depok’s history in an interactive way through documentation, artifacts, and stories that trace the city’s origins and development.
One highlight is the story of the 12 marga, which form an important part of Depok’s identity. A studio like this offers a closer way for younger generations to learn. They do not just read place names or look at old photos. They step into the story. They see the objects. They hear the explanation. Then they connect the past with the city they live in now.
According to Chandra, that approach matters so today’s generation does not lose its cultural roots. “Through this studio, we can learn Depok’s history in a different way. This is important so the current generation does not forget its cultural roots,” he said.
That view aligns with the direction of heritage area development, which does not stop at preserving buildings or historical markers. The festival takes a more lively approach. History stands alongside economic activity. City identity meets residents’ needs. And at that point, UMKM gets more room to grow.
Depok Lama is being positioned as a new tourism destination
The Depok municipal government has also said the Heritage Depok Lama area will be developed as a new tourism destination. In that framework, the festival serves as one of the first gateways to introduce the area, attract visitors, and test public interest in a mix of historical tourism and creative economy activity.
Chandra hopes people will not only come, but also take part in every activity available. “Come, see, learn, and feel it. Let’s support our UMKM, and let’s know our history. From there, we build a sense of belonging to this city,” he said.
That appeal shows the festival does not stand alone. It is being used as a bridge between past and present, between culture and economy, and between residents and their city identity. If public support holds, events like this can become a small engine that keeps turning for local businesses.
Festival Heritage Depok Lama 2026 also shows one simple thing: when history is presented in an easy-to-enjoy format, more residents show up. When residents come, UMKM moves. And when UMKM moves, the local economy feels it. In Depok, that was visible from one festival held for the first time, yet already making room for bazaars, a history studio, and a city story that wants to stay alive.
Source: ANTARA, report by Feru Lantara.
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