The monumental Labor Day weekend festival Made in America uplifted the streets on the Ben Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Sept. 3 to Sept. 4. Major headliners for the festival included Tyler the Creator, Bad Bunny, Lil Uzi Vert and many other artists.

This was my second time attending the festival. As a native of the Philadelphian suburbs, Made in America brings an overwhelming sense of pride to the city of brotherly love. 

The festival is similar to festivals like California’s Coachella, New York City’s Governor Ball and Miami’s Rolling Loud. However, the theme for this year’s festival paid homage to the Caribbean and Hispanic culture, which made me feel represented as someone who takes pride in her Caribbean heritage. In addition, the Parkway was flooded with Caribbean/Hispanic food trucks so festival attendees could get a taste of the islands.

While there were many food trucks that I enjoyed, an honorable mention was Grubaholics. They put a twist on traditional Caribbean cuisine, and their “TWERKIN Island Wings” were succulent, tender and flavorful. I had to get a second order before the night was over.

Though I was disappointed Kodak Black and Key Glock weren’t able to perform due to travel and curfew issues, there were still other significant artists that I still saw.

Leave it to rising experimental hip-hop artist JELEEL! to liven the crowd with his chaotic stage presence at the Freedom Stage. First, he performed his hit song “RAIN ON YOU!,” which went viral this year on TikTok; the crowd was full of energetic young adults and even children moshing to the music. Next, he engaged with the audience by screaming, “JELEEL!” To which the crowd responded with his trademark “YEAH!”

To keep the energy flowing, the glitchy hip-hop beat to “DIVE IN!” rang through the speakers, and the crowd witnessed him backflip from the speaker to the stage. JELEEL!’s performance was a must-see at this year’s Made in America Festival, and with 2.2 million monthly Spotify listeners, he is definitely an artist to watch. I am thrilled to continue to watch him grow as an artist.

The most anticipated artist that I wanted to see was Lil Uzi Vert, and the Philadelphia native was a powerhouse. They catapulted through the stage with their opening hit song, “GLOCK IN MY PURSE,” and did their signature shoulder roll to elevate the performance. However, my favorite part of their set was when they performed older songs like “Sauce It Up” and “Do What I Want” to satisfy die-hard fans. Uzi’s set design pleased the naked eye with neon green strobe lights, glitch-core fan cam edits on the jumbotron and orange Lamborghinis on each side of the stage. Their rock star performance captivated the audience and is a set I will never forget.

As the festival ended, Tyler the Creator was set to perform. The main stage was full of Tyler’s fans dressed in wigs acknowledging his recent album released “IGOR” and “GOLF WANG” attire, Tyler’s clothing brand. The abrasive rapper entered the stage in brown cargo pants, a bright yellow puffer jacket, and a dark brown ushanka, a traditional Russian hat. Although I preferred other acts, there is no doubt that Tyler gives a dramatic and exhilarating stage performance. 

Overall, I enjoyed my time at the Made in America Festival, and I encourage music lovers to experience the festival held in Philadelphia each year on Labor Day Weekend.

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