PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The 420ish Unity Festival is meant to draw thousands to the Hampton Roads area for two days packed with concerts.
By nightfall on Saturday, crowds at the hip hop and reggae music festival picked up as people filed in to check out several artists, including headliners, City Girls and Gucci Mane.
Crowds were not too packed, however. For much of the day, people had lots of space to walk or sit on the big field.
Maurice Jackson, a festivalgoer from Miami, told 13News Now the event reminded him of a popular event from home.
“I’ve seen the list of celebrities and stuff. I think it’s like a little Rolling Loud, something to come to,” said Jackson. “It’s good vibes. It’s good vibes, and the police are out here still."
Organizers of the 420ish Unity Festival vowed to have security and a safety plan in place.
“Everybody seems really chill, really relaxed. I know Portsmouth is known for having high crime, but everybody seems really chill today,” said Sydney Moreno, a festivalgoer from Hampton.
The talent on stage excited Moreno.
“I came up on Trina, Trick Daddy and the likes.”
Suffolk-based entertainers, HyDef, participated as one of the “420ish Rising Stars” performances. They expressed gratitude for the opportunity.
“We’ve got a deep résumé, but this right here, is going to set it off and it’s going to open up so many doors for us,” one member said.
Portsmouth business owners Ashley Raeneil with Art House Noir and Nataki Hill with Serenity’s Oasis believe the festival will open doors for them and the city, too.
“It’s so much talent in Portsmouth. If people just give us a chance, they’ll see. It’s really a small town community and we all come together,” said Hill.
“I think it brings more of the culture of this area. It brings more validity to the culture, highlights it better and it brings us out, like the title ‘Unity Festival,’” said Raeneil.
Raeneil and Hill collaborated on an event for festivalgoers across from the Sportsplex.
Although '420' is in the festival’s name, it is illegal to use marijuana in public in Virginia.
“We have a private space where they could do it with us. [Hill] also sells crystals, jewelry, the coffee,” said Raeneil. "We also have artwork."
Tickets for the 420ish Unity Festival are still available online. Artists Shaggy and Spice headline Sunday night.
13News Now was not granted press access inside the 420ish Unity Festival.
