So yes it appears that the many rumors of Freaknik’s return are in fact true. This use to be one of the biggest annual events for African Americans held in Atlanta, GA. This gathering use to include festival like action with every popular urban celebrity you can image hot on the scene. At it’s peak the festival generated well over 100k visitors, and they were all looking to party hard. There was no hotter place to spend one’s spring break until it all came abruptly crashing down.
Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed made it clear that his city will be cracking down on any Freaknik-related activities that violate city guidelines. To demonstrate his point clearly he also stated that lawsuits would be filed against organizers who don’t comply. This is really a great move because the Freakniks before hand managed to get way out of hand and was often followed by an increase in crime.
“We will walk the line between keeping order in our city and welcoming our visitors,” Reed said at a news conference to discuss traffic and public-safety plans for other scheduled events that might bring 300,000 people to the city this weekend, according to the Atlanta Journal- Constitution. “There will not be a takeover of Atlanta under my watch.” At any rate the city is overjoyed to be hosting the event again and those in surrounding area are presumably equally delighted.
