Hohenfels celebrates decades of military-community partnership during 50th annual Volksfest

JOINT MULTINATIONAL READINESS CENTER, Germany – Over the course of five days, the Hohenfels military community and its partner communities celebrated decades of friendship during the 50th annual German-American Volksfest May 1 through 5, 2024, at the military installation’s Festplatz.

The event opened with a keg tapping, performed by Command Sgt. Maj. Alexander Yazzie, the command sergeant major of the Joint Multinational Readiness Center.

The opening ceremony took place in a large beer tent, lined with wooden tables with a music stand in front and crowds of Germans and Americans eating and drinking traditional fest food.

Col. Justin Y. Reese, the commander of the JMRC operations group, welcomed the gathered crowd.

The beer tent dominated one end of the festplatz, and a Ferris wheel rose above the other end, spinning in place as occupants rode round. Between the two large attractions, festgoers passed between two lanes with other rides such as bumper cars for most ages and merry-go-rounds for smaller children. The smell of fish on small sandwiches, candied nuts, and roasted meats drifted through the crowds as well.

In addition to hosting the event, U.S. Army Garrison Bavaria had members of its workforce development team out to talk to festgoers about the career opportunities available during the festival.

Different musical acts played throughout the event, and different days yielded new offerings for festgoers. The third day of the fest was Family Day, with children receiving facepainting and glitter tattoos. The fourth day, Saturday, members of the German Bundeswehr and U.S. Army showed up with their equipment (helicopters, transports, unmanned aerial systems), and they talked with curious attendees. On the final day of the festival, buses took many through the main garrison cantonment and into the vast training area where the U.S. and its allies train together.