NORFOLK, Va. — As final touches are being put on the Cousinz Festival at the Scope in downtown Norfolk, businesses along Granby Street hope to get in on some foot traffic this weekend.
Watch: Setup underway for first-ever Cousinz Festival in Norfolk
"We get very excited. Why? Because we're looking for those crowds" said Neon White, a manager at Grace O'Malley's on Granby Street. "Depending on traffic, we could easily $10,000 [in sales]. It all just depends on how many people are filtering down."
While sales are important, White told News 3's Jay Greene it's also about making personal connections with customers, new and old.
"I always look for them to say, 'Hey, how's the beer? Hey, how's the food?"
The festival is a first for the Mermaid City with at least 12,000 people expected to attend. It'll feature two rappers native to Hampton Roads, Fam-Lay and Pusha T.
Watch: Rappers Pusha T and Fam-Lay talk upcoming "Cousinz Music Festival"
Organizers see it as a way to give back to this community.
"A lot of people who grew up in Hampton Roads knew about AFRAM Festival. That was a big urban, dense, cultural moment for us here. I grew up in that element," festival co-founder Antonio Dowe told News 3 earlier in the day Friday. "So when I brought this idea up to my other co-founders, it was a no-brainer for them too because we all knew what that energy was. It was about bringing community, about bringing family, and that’s why we coined the term Cousinz.”
Preparations for the festival were still happening into Friday evening.
Meanwhile, the staff at Baxter's Lounge—on the other side of the street from the Scope—are getting ready for a busy weekend.
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"It's really important because it brings in a lot of people," said Daryl Bresach, a manager at Baxter's. "We're actually getting staffed up even more than we normally would for the start of college football season. So we have two things coming for us."
Back at Grace O'Malley's, Neon White said his staff is ready, especially when it comes to the brews.
"The Guinness is always cold, always on tap," he said.
