‘Cease Fire!’: Plies among performers at The People Matter Fest in Miami-Dade

This year’s 24-Hour Cease Fire campaign is on.

A community festival with a focus on preventing gun violence kicked off on Friday afternoon with a list of events in northwestern Miami-Dade’s Gladeview and Westview neighborhoods.

Plies, Mellow Rackz, Ice Billion Berg, and Mike Smiff are among the performers of the free hip-hop music festival from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m., at Miami-Dade College’s Nathaniel Traz Powell Stadium, at 11380 NW 27 Ave., in the Westview neighborhood.

“We want all of our residents and visitors to feel safe and enjoy a wonderful day of music and fun without fear,” Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said in a statement.

Levine Cava and Papa Keith, of 103.5 The Beat and Papa Keith 4 People Matter Foundation, are co-hosting the events to mark a ceasefire from 7 p.m., Friday to 7 p.m., Saturday.

“Hip hop can be used to do good in our community,” Keith said.

The football tournament started at 3 p.m., and the basketball tournament starts at 7 p.m., on Friday, at the Gwen Cherry Park’s football and basketball fields, at 7090 NW 22 Ave., in the Gladeview neighborhood, south of West Little River, and north of Brownsville.

“The ceasefire is our biggest success story,” Keith said in a statement. “We go directly into the communities with gun violence issues and ask them to respect the ceasefire to ensure a peaceful festival.”

Keith’s nonprofit foundation also counts on sponsorships from the United Teachers of Dade, The Children’s Trust, and Dunkin for the event that he promotes under The People Matter Fest.

“I am tired of seeing petty beefs being solved in the streets with firearms; I am tired of my officers being shot at,” Miami-Dade Police Department Director Alfredo “Freddy” Ramirez III said about his support of the events.

The festival organizers prohibit glass bottles or containers, food, beverages, coolers, blankets, and recording devices such as zoom lens cameras, selfie sticks, Go-pros, and drones.

“We are going to get this done,” Ramirez said.

Watch the 3:30 p.m. report

This year’s 24-Hour Cease Fire campaign is on. A community festival with a focus on preventing gun violence kicked off on Friday afternoon with a list of events in northwestern Miami-Dade’s Gladeview and Westview neighborhoods. Read More