Event: Camp Schwab Festival 2008

May 24, 3-10 p.m. May 25, 1-10 p.m.

Typhoon Dates May 31 & June 1

- FREE Admission
- LIVE Entertainment (Saliva & Puddle of Mudd)
- Game Booths and Rides
- Kiddie Land
- Local and Cultural Food

CHANCE TO WIN
One of Two (2) tickets to one of
five U.S. destinations or a
seating class upgrade!
Courtesy of
UNITED &
OMEGA WORLD TRAVEL

Daiko service available

This festival is open to everyone Island-wide Free shuttle buses will provide transportation to and from designated parking lot on Camp Schwab. For more information call MCCS Special Events at 645-5828.

No pets, outside alcohol, bottles, or coolers allowed.

off-base events (May 2)

May 2, 7 p.m.
Okinawan Classical Dance Performance
Okinawa Folk Theater, Naha City
Tickets: 2,500 yen

May 3—5
Naha Hari (Dragon Boat Race)
Naha Shinko Port, Naha City

May 3—6, 9:30 a.m.—6 p.m
Okinawa Kodomo-no-Kuni Festival
Okinawa Zoo, Okinawa City

May 3—11, 9 a.m.—5 p.m.
Nago Orchid Festival
Neo Park Okinawa, Nago City

island tours - May 2

EXPLORE OKINAWA
WITH MCCS TOURS+

Battle Sites Tour
May 3, 9 a.m.—5 p.m.
Adults, $23.50; Children (3—11), $13; Children (under 3), $5
Visit the Battle of Okinawa Historical Collection on Camp Kinser. Then relive the battle with a history lesson. Explore the Japanese Naval Underground Headquarters and end the day at Peace Prayer Park. Bring dollars for lunch and yen for admission fees.

Sweet and Salty Tour
May 3, 9 a.m.—2 p.m.
Adults, $15; Children (3—11), $9; Children (under 3), $5
See the processes behind two of Okinawa’s traditional trades. Visit a sugarcane factory to learn how Okinawa’s brown sugar is made, then head to a sea salt refinery to find out how salt is produced. Bring yen for lunch and purchases.

Northern Highlights
May 4, 9 a.m.—5 p.m.
Adults, $35; Children (3—11), $19; Children (under 3), $5
Visit Nago Pineapple Winery, Nago Glass Factory, and the Orion Beer Factory. Then enjoy
a yakiniku-style lunch (included) at Fruits Land Garden. Bring yen for purchases.

Southern Hills Ice Skating
May 9, 11 a.m.—4p.m.
Adults, $33.25; Children (12—17), $30; Children (7—11), $21; Children (3—6), $18; Children (under 3), $5
More than just an ice skating rink, Southern Hill offers batting cages, a bowling alley, video games, and more. Bring yen for food and activities. Note: hats and gloves are required for skating.

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For more information, contact MCCS Tours+: Camp Foster, 646-3502 | Camp Hansen, 623-6344 | Camp Kinser, 637-2744

Gesashi's magical mangrove

Source: Stripes Okinawa
Story and Photos by Keith T. Graff

Whether seeking solitude from Nago City's urban buzz or a new site for a family outing, a leisurely drive up the east coast on Highway 331 has its own rewards. But just past the Highway 14 intersection, a majestic mangrove forest offers even more.

Mangrove River Walk Park in Gesashi is just past Arume Bay. Lush mangrove shrubs and trees line the river banks as well as the scenic walkway that winds its way through the area.

Visitors can take a leisurely stroll a few hundred meters into this off-road paradise. More adventurous people can take the trail farther up adn come back over the ridge to get a panoramic view, but watch out for the habu snake. For the less adventurous, a small tower is easy to access near the parking area.

Photo caption: A view upstream from the entrance of Mangrove River Walk Park.

Nago Cherry Blossom Festival attracts thousands

Lance Cpl. Kevin M. Knallay
OKINAWA MARINE STAFFThousands of festival goers searched for the first signs of spring in the blossoms of cherry trees lining the streets of Nago City and Nago Central Park during the 46th Annual Nago Cherry Blossom Festival Jan. 26-27.

Some of the festival highlights included performances by local schools’ brass bands and cultural performers such as Eisa dancers and taiko drummers. Parades, competitions, karaoke, carnival games and food vendors were also attractions for the visitors.

A popular activity at the festival was “hanami,” or flower viewing. Festival goers toured the park, where they had a scenic view of approximately 20,000 pink Taiwanese cherry trees blooming.

Lance Cpl. Anette Tran, a motor transportation mechanic with Combat Logistics Regiment 3, 3rd Marine Logistics Battalion, joined others at the festival who walked the hundreds of steps up to the Nago Castle ruins in Nago Central Park. Once at the top, she was rewarded with a scenic view of the trees and Nago’s coast.

“It was definitely worth going up so many stairs,” Tran said. “Most of the trees are starting to get to full bloom up there. The further you walked, the more beautiful it got.”

The blossoms have been celebrated for many centuries and are a prominent tradition in Japanese culture. Many festivals around Okinawa involve them as the center for celebration. The Nakijiin Castle Cherry Festival and the annual Motobu Yaedake Cherry Blossom Festival, which last until Feb. 10, are just a handful of the other locales where festivals are being held.

The festivals’ peak blossoming period is projected to last from Jan. 26 to Feb. 10 depending on where you visit. Typically, the trees bloom from north to south on Okinawa during the Sakura Zensen, or cherry blossom front.

The blossoms, however pretty, have a short season. Once the first few blossoms open, it takes roughly one week for them to be in full bloom. About a week later, and sometimes less due to weather conditions, the blossoms begin to fall.

In addition to the blossoms, the Nago festival was a stage for many service members to experience the Okinawan atmosphere.

“Along with the cherry blossoms, it’s great being out in the culture, checking out the entertainment, and being in such a friendly environment,” said Pfc. Diogo Delgado, a customer service representative with the Marine Corps Base Camp Butler Supply Office.

Those wishing to go to the Nago Castle ruins should take the expressway north until it turns into Highway 58. Follow the signs on 58 to Central Nago and turn right at the Nago Central Park sign.