Sailors gathered at the Market Square in downtown Roanoke to mark the beginning of Navy Week Roanoke May 16.

The kickoff event featured musical performances from the U.S. Fleet Forces Band, equipment demonstrations from Explosive Ordnance Disposal Group 2, rifle handling from the Ceremonial Guard Drill Team, and remarks from Vice Mayor David Bowers and Rear Adm. Mark Fung, deputy of Naval Contruction Force, Navy Expeditionary Combat Command.

"The purpose of Navy Week is to bring your Navy to you," said Fung. "For those communities that don't live along the coast where we have a large naval population, it can be hard to grasp all that the Navy does for national security, global commerce, and deterring aggression from those countries that wish to do us harm."

Since 2005, the Navy Week program has served as the Navy's principal outreach effort in the areas of the country without a significant naval presence. More than 185 Navy Weeks have been held in 68 different U.S. cities.

Roanoke has not hosted a Navy Week since 2008. This year, the Navy has returned with a host of community outreach events throughout the week, including scheduled performances from the U.S. Navy flight demonstration squadron, the Blue Angels, and the U.S. Navy parachute demonstration team, the Leap Frogs.

For more information about Navy Week, visit http://www.outreach.navy.mil/, or follow the hashtag #navyweek.