Christmas Carnival Draws Strong Crowd, Boosts Local Vendors Income

19 December 2025

KOTA KINABALU: The three-day Christmas Carnival held at the Padang attracted strong public attendance and provided a significant boost to local small traders, with more than 100 vendors participating in the event.

The carnival featured a wide range of food and non-food stalls, with most vendors coming from Kota Kinabalu and surrounding areas.

According to Ramzih Ruzin President of the Kota Kinabalu District Hawkers and Small Traders Association, attendance was estimated to have exceeded 1,000 visitors per day, with crowds building up as early as 5pm.

He described the event as highly beneficial for vendors, noting that many stalls sold out their stock well before closing time at 10pm each night.

“The impact was very positive. This event greatly helped vendors, especially food traders. Over the three days, almost all products were sold out early, which clearly increased traders’ income,” he said.

Ramzih added that events such as the Christmas Carnival provide an effective platform for small traders to showcase their products, expand their customer base and strengthen their businesses, while also offering a lively space for the community to come together.

Expressing hope for the future, he called on organisers to continue hosting similar events and suggested that the carnival be held annually. He also proposed that the successful concept be replicated in other districts.

“As it works well here, it can certainly be implemented in other districts using the same approach,” he said.

He further urged the public to continue supporting government-organised events aimed at benefiting the people of Sabah, while expressing appreciation to the organisers for consistently delivering programmes that have a positive impact on local communities.

Ramzih also stressed that the carnival helped promote friendship, tolerance and mutual understanding among people from diverse racial and religious backgrounds.

He expressed hope that similar initiatives would be extended to other festivals and celebrations in the future.

He also thanked the event organisers, in particular the Sabah Council of Churches and the City Hall, for their commitment and support.

The event started on 16 December and will end today.