(CBS DETROIT) — It’s Memorial Day weekend and there’s a lot happening in Detroit. But downtown Detroit draws a lot of people, especially for the Movement Music Festival.
It attracts people from far and wide to Hart Plaza.
“Everyone’s just having a good time. Everyone’s showing love for each other and just having fun. I also think there’s creativity around movement; you can show whatever you look like; there’s just an individuality,” Amy said Johnson.
For Johnson, a lifelong Detroiter, the festival is an annual event. She has two friends with her, one of whom even flew into town.
While Movement brings them to the city, it is the festivities afterwards that get them excited.
“We’re going to parties that start at 11 p.m. and last three days. I think we’re going to a party on Tuesday that ends at 7 a.m.,” she and her friends chuckled.
A study by Kyprto Casinos shows that exercise is one of America’s happiest festivalscoming in at number 5.
But with more than twenty artists, some may have a hard time choosing who to watch.
“Mondays are when I’m busiest, jumping around multiple stages for multiple artists,” Amanda Kennedy said.
Kennedy and her friends traveled four hours from Toronto, Canada, to Detroit. She said seeing DJ Fatboy Slim would fulfill some of her high school dreams.
It’s their first time in the Motor City and to their delight the city is a surprise. They said they can understand firsthand how the city is improving and that the stigma no longer carries a heavy weight.
“It’s cleaner than I thought it would be… Good atmosphere,” Kennedy said.
“I didn’t expect it to be very calm and subtle,” Gabi Amy said.
Many are looking for good vibes this weekend. The techno music event even has companies offering ways to get interactive if you want to DJ for a few minutes.
“This is part of our culture; it’s something I’ve known since I was a kid. The energy in the city during Memorial Day weekend around Movement is unlike any other city you will ever experience,” Johnson said.
Now that Hart Plaza has been transformed into a music venue, the area is enthusiastic. Even those who don’t have tickets for the event will want to come downtown and witness the city at its best.
“There’s an awareness of what’s available now in the city of Detroit, so they have an opportunity to learn for themselves the truth about what’s available in Detroit, so welcome to what really Detroit is,” said Sherry Swift.
Swift and her friends decided to take a stroll on the Riverwalk to get right into the mix.
A lot will happen in Detroit over the next 72 hours, and many people say they just want to have a good time.
Terell Bailey
