KUCHING: While the Kuching Street Parade 2025 promises a dazzling night of lights and performances, the festivities are already bringing life – and business – to the Kuching Waterfront.
From as early as 10:00 am on Friday, stalls began drawing in curious visitors with the aroma of freshly cooked food and drinks, turning the waterfront into a vibrant food haven.
For many small traders, the event is more than just a celebration – it is an opportunity to reach new customers.
For first-timers, Nur Syavania Rabuan, 15, and her friend, Fareesya Aleeya, 22, joining such a large-scale event as vendors was a new experience.
Their stall offers steamed buns and an assortment of desserts, which has been attracting steady streams of customers.
“This is our first time joining an event this big, and we’re happy to see more customers coming in,” said Nur Syavania, who started her business in June last year.
She hopes the parade will help introduce her products to a wider audience.
Another stall catching attention is run by 18-year-old Nurul Fatihah, who is promoting ‘es pisang ijo’, a unique Indonesian dessert currently trending on social media.
Her employer is testing the waters here, hoping to create a buzz among Kuching food lovers.
“We’re trying to see how people respond to this product, as many have never heard of it before,” she said.
She added that the dessert is also sold at Metrocity Youth Night Market from 6:00 pm to midnight and at Jalan Astana from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm.
Meanwhile, 55-year-old Mohd Nasir Nasser has been drawing smiles with his creatively named ayam potong, a family-inspired twist meant to stand out in the crowd.
Like many traders, he hopes the parade will translate into higher sales.
“I hope this event helps small traders like me make a bit more profit than usual,” he said.
For vendors along the parade route, Kuching Street Parade 2025 is more than a cultural spectacle – it’s a chance to turn festivity into opportunity.
