More than 6,000 people gathered at Camp Foster on Okinawa for a German-themed Oktoberfest organized by Marine Corps Community Services, according to event records.

The festival, held on October 3, 2026, featured bratwurst, soft pretzels, funnel cakes and German beer served at communal tables while live music played from The Polka Brothers, a New York-based band. Long queues formed for food stations throughout the five-hour event.

Lance Cpl. Hans McCanless, a 21-year-old Marine assigned to Combat Logistics Regiment 37, attended with friends, noting his dual German and U.S. citizenship. "I heard there was Oktoberfest going on and might as well come and check it out, see a little bit of German heritage and festivities here," he said.

Fukuoka architect Tsutsumi Yukiyoshi, who frequently attends U.S. military base festivals across Japan, described the event as a chance to experience German culture abroad. "I came to Oktoberfest on Okinawa to try out the German beer and enjoy the music," he said.

Friends Till Weber, based in Berlin, and retired Marine Mark Roberts echoed the sentiment, with Weber stating, "Friendship and beer, that’s the reason you go to Oktoberfest," and Roberts adding, "And good food."

Marine Corps Community Services spent several months coordinating the event with installation leaders, vendors and community partners, according to marketing manager Marianne Dawson. Organizers imported decorations, flags, tables and benches from Germany to recreate a traditional Oktoberfest atmosphere.

The gathering provided service members with an opportunity to socialize outside routine duties, as McCanless noted, "If there’s a free event on base, there’s really no point in not going in and joining it."

Nearly 6,000 attendees participated in the festival, which aimed to connect military personnel, families and the local Okinawan community through shared food, entertainment and cultural exchange.