Festival-goers travel to Detroit for Movement Music Festival
(CBS DETROIT) — It's Memorial Day weekend, and a lot is happening in Detroit. But downtown Detroit is seeing a lot of people, mainly for the Movement Music Festival.
It has attracted people from far and close to Hart Plaza.
"Everyone is just having a good time. Everyone is showing love to one another and just vibing out. Also, I think there's this creativity surrounding movement; you can show up no matter what you look like; there's just this individuality," said Amy 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 town, it's the festivities after that's got them eager.
"We're going to parties that start at 11 p.m. and are going to go for three days. I think we're going to a party that ends at 7 a.m. on Tuesday," she and her friends chuckled.
A study by Kyprto Casinos found that Movement is one of America's happiest festivals, coming in at No. 5.
But with over 20 performers, some will have a hard time choosing who to watch.
"I'll be the busiest on Monday, jumping through multiple stages for multiple artists," Amanda Kennedy said.
Kennedy and her friends traveled from Toronto, Canada, to Detroit in four hours. She said seeing DJ Fatboy Slim would fulfill some of her middle school dreams.
It's their first time in the Motor City, and to their pleasure, the city is a surprise. They said they can firsthand understand how the city is improving, and the stigma no longer holds a heavyweight.
"It's cleaner than I thought it was going to be ... Good vibes," said Kennedy.
"I wasn't expecting it to be very calm and subtle," said Gabi Amy.
Many are after good vibes this weekend. The techno music event even has businesses offering ways to get interactive if you want to play DJ for a few minutes.
"This has been a part of our culture; it's been something I've known since a kid. The energy in the city on Memorial Day weekend around Movement is unlike any other city that you'll ever experience," Johnson said.
As Hart Plaza has transformed into a music venue, the area is excited. Even those who don't have tickets to the event want to come downtown and witness the city at its best.
"There's a realization of what's available in the city of Detroit now, so they're having the opportunity to learn the truth about what's available in Detroit themselves, so welcome to what's really Detroit," Sherry Swift said.
Swift and her friends decided to stroll on the Riverwalk to be in the mix of it all.
A lot will happen in Detroit over the next 72 hours, and many people say they just want to have a good time.
