Mayor Steven L. Reed previewed Montgomery’s HBCU weekend events, saying the city expects bands, football, concerts and vendors and urging visitors to behave and spend locally.

Reed named performers and attractions including DJ Kid Capri for a postgame event, a Ferris wheel on the Riverwalk, food trucks, and Battle of the Bands competitions tied to Morehouse, Tuskegee and Alabama State University events. “It’s gonna be HBCU headquarters right here in Montgomery come October 3,” Reed said.

On public safety, Reed said the city has seen crime fall and cited a greater than 25 percent drop in crime overall and reductions in homicides and nonfatal shootings, crediting community partnerships and police work. “We've seen crime drop by over 25%. We've seen reduction in homicides and nonfatal shootings,” he said; the podcast did not provide the data source or timeframe for those figures.

Reed encouraged visitors to bring family-friendly behavior and not to incite trouble: “Come down there with a mindset to have a great time,” he said, and advised attendees to report poor behavior to help maintain a safe environment. He also framed the weekend as an opportunity to keep spending in Montgomery: “You can spend that money and invest that money right here and have a great time.”

The mayor did not provide event budgets, contracts with performers, or operational security plans on the podcast. He said the city will request state and federal funds for some larger infrastructure projects, but did not link those requests directly to the HBCU weekend activities during the interview.