2020 Hansen Festival

CAMP HANSEN, OKINAWA, Japan – Over 7,500 people from both the local and U.S. military communities attended the 2020 Camp Hansen Festival, Feb. 8-9.

The annual celebration featured live performers, demonstrations, food vendors, and games. Despite the rain, many people came out to participate.

"Hansen Festival is an awesome time to show what hard work the dogs and handlers go through for training and exercise,” said Cpl. Isaac Cutshall, a marine working dog handler with 3rd Law Enforcement Battalion.

“The dogs go through about five hours of training a day and it shows when we do demonstrations like this,” he said.

The dog handling demonstration was only one of many at the festival.

Country music band Parmalee headlined the festival with a concert at the end of the first day.

“It’s important to remind the service members that we support them for what they do,” said Matt Thomas, lead singer of Parmalee. “We want to give them a taste of home.”

Hansen Festival and other open-gate events are important to strengthening the relationship between the local Okinawa culture and U.S. Armed Forces.

“If it wasn’t for y’all being out here, we wouldn’t be able to do what we love or be able to perform for y’all”, said Thomas.

The event was hosted by Marine Corps Community Services which features a comprehensive set of programs that support and enhance the operational readiness, war fighting capabilities, and life quality of Marines, their families, retirees and civilians.