Ultra Music Fest Cranks Up Again Friday
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – After a week of relative quiet, residents of downtown Miami are about to be rocked again by the 'boom, boom, boom' of the Ultra Music Fest.
The second weekend of the event kicks off Friday.
Last weekend, tens of thousands of revelers packed the Bayfront Park area in Downtown Miami to dance at one of the largest electronic music festivals in the world. Event organizers said over two weekends, approximately 350,000 will line up to dance which is more than twice what it was in 2012. Millions more will watch the three day party on Ultra Music Fest's YouTube channel.
Greyla Alvarez lives in the high-rise across the street from Bayfront Park.
She left town last year to avoid Ultra, but a business commitment kept her from doing so last weekend.
When asked what the three days were like for her, she said, "Crazy. Trying to stay inside the apartment or going somewhere else. It's really difficult to be with the noise all day and night."
Alvarez said her windows were rattling, but it's not just the noise that bothered her.
She said the traffic has been a nightmare.
"Just to get here, two blocks away, it took maybe 45 minutes to get to my own house. So it's complicated," she said.
Miami Police officers arrested 85 people throughout the 3-day festival. The top 3 charges were for disorderly conduct, narcotics possession, and operating a business without a license.
According to Ultra organizers one weekend of electronic music brings South Florida $79 million in economic impact.
Ultra Fest isn't the only big draw this weekend.
The Miami Heat will play Detroit Pistons Friday night at 7:30 p.m. at the AmericanAirlines Arena. The team is going for win number 25. Saturday night there's an Alicia Keys concert at the arena. Also Saturday, Michelle Williams stars in Fela! at the Adrienne Arsht Center.
The Heat will take on the Charlotte Bobcats at the AAA at 6 p.m. on Sunday.
Also going on this weekend is the Miami Home Design and Remodeling Show at the Miami Beach Convention Center.
