Nago Cherry Blossom Festival (Sakura Matsuri)

The cherry blossom bloom on Okinawa a few months earlier than they do on the mainland.  Mostly because of our tropical weather and the fact that it gets warmer here much sooner.  As a result, the Sakura Matsuri (Cherry Blossom Festivals) here on island also happen earlier in the year.

We've been on the island for a month now.  I was starting to wonder when I was ever going to get to hear my husband play again.  The band always seems to be busy, but they don't have many public events here on island.  So I was excited to finally go and see them at the Nago Cherry Blossom Festival.

O loves to hear the music but is also very curious.  So while the band played we checked out the surrounding stands and interacted with the people in the crowd.  It's a good thing we did too, cause we had to leave with the band shortly after the performance.  Hopefully next year we'll get to check out the festivities a little more.

Next year I hope to take a nice stroll up to the Nago Castle Ruins.  I hear they make an excellent place to observe the Cherry Blossoms (if they had not bloomed later than usual this year).  Apparently Nago Chou Park has some 20,000 Taiwan Cherry trees.

The festival also takes place in other parts of Nago (Sakura Park, the Nago Main Crossroad, and at Nago Fishing Port) offering local music and dance performances, a parade, vendors and games.

III MEF Band takes the stage.

The only Cherry Blossom Tree in sight that was blooming.  Apparently all the trees bloomed a week after the festival.