MIAMI GARDENS, FLA. (WSVN) – Tens of thousands of people from across the country came to the Hard Rock Stadium for the 12th annual Jazz in the Gardens this weekend, and this year\u2019s festivities included a special honor for two of the youngest stars of this year\u2019s made-in-Miami Best Picture Oscar winner.<\/p>\n
7News cameras captured acts like rapper and actor Common and up-and-coming singer Andra Day performing to packed crowds.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s great,\u201d said attendee SaDe Lewis. \u201cI feel like a lot of this kind of music you can find in Atlanta, and it\u2019s nice to be able to have that in Florida.\u201d<\/p>\n
Local residents and visitors headed to the festival for some soul music, R&B and hip-hop.<\/p>\n
The hip-hop group The Roots, for instance, got the audience pumped. \u201cWe love The Roots,\u201d said concert goer John Little. \u201cHouse band for The Tonight Show, love it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Seeing that band was on Kevin Bayne\u2019s bucket list. \u201cMy favorite hip-hop group,\u201d he said. \u201cI love the performance. I love the show. Jazz in the Gardens, it\u2019s amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a really good vibe, very relaxed,\u201d said audience member Lataevia Bayne. \u201cEveryone seems like they\u2019re enjoying themselves pretty great.\u201d<\/p>\n
Lewis was especially pleased by the weekend\u2019s cool temperatures. \u201cThe weather\u2019s great. Can\u2019t get better weather than this,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Briefly threatening to upstage the festival\u2019s headliners were Alex Hibbert and Jaden Piner, two stars from the film \u201cMoonlight,\u201d which won\u00a0this year\u2019s top prize at the Academy Awards. The critically acclaimed feature also picked up Adapted Screenplay and Supporting Actor statuettes.<\/p>\n
Hibbert and Piner, both students at Norland Middle School, came onstage to receive keys to the City of Miami Gardens.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt feels amazing, even though I gotta leave soon,\u201d said Hibbert. \u201cSpending some quality time in my hometown feels amazing. Everybody\u2019s congratulating me, and they shouldn\u2019t be congratulating me. They should be congratulating Miami. If it weren\u2019t for Miami, I wouldn\u2019t be here.\u201d<\/p>\n
Their drama teacher, Tanisha Cidel, was also awarded a key to the city.<\/p>\n
Hibbert said he has already landed his next acting gig and is scheduled to return to Hollywood soon.<\/p>\n
When asked what future roles loom in the horizon for him, Piner said, \u201cMy manager likes to keep it a secret, until I actually get it.\u201d<\/p>\n
For now, both actors are staying humble and enjoying this moment, saying they\u2019re just taking it all in.<\/p>\n
Event organizers said this year\u2019s festival brought in close to 100,000 people.<\/p>\n