Festivals Festivals are held throughout the year in Okinawa. Four of the biggest are the Flower Carnival, Ocean Carnival, the Kingdom Festa in Ryukyu, and Santopia Okinawa. The Flower Carnival is held in January and February. While the rest of the nation enjoys cherry-blossom viewing around April, the cherry tress in Okinawa are already in bloom by late January. The festival also features a bright, colorful assortment of subtropical flowers. The Ocean Carnival takes place between late March and early April. It is at this time that the "swimming season" is officially declared open at beaches around Okinawa. The Kingdom Festa in Ryukyu is organized for 10 days starting in early October. Performances of Okinawa's traditional arts are held in addition to a mammoth tug-of-war event, in which more than 10,000 participants pull on a rope measuring 186 meters in length and 1.5 meters in diameter. Santopia Okinawa takes advantage of the prefecture's warm winters to host a number of sporting competitions from mid-November to mid-December. Events range from table tennis to gateball (a croquet-like game) and are enjoyed by children and the elderly alike.