By Todd Quinones

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – An estimated crowd of 50,000 will be on the Parkway Saturday. Many will be there to see one man, Jay-Z, who made a brief public appearance Friday night.

Fans hanging out around the grounds were happy to catch a glimpse of him. After all, it’s all about the music, and Friday night was sound check time for Jay-Z’s band–much to the delight of dozens of people who came by to check things out.

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“I think it’s phenomenal to bring all these different music genres together,” one fan said.

In the mix of everything, acclaimed Hollywood director Ron Howard is also in town, working on a documentary about the festival.

“This is all the setup, the drum roll, the creating the context. I’ve never made a festival movie like this,” Howard said.

Nearly 30 artists will perform here on three different stages on Saturday and Sunday from 2 to 11 p.m. each day.

The sound checks alone were enough to draw a crowd on Friday.

“I wasn’t planning on it, but after all the excitement, I’m really thinking of buying tickets. So I will probably go home and buy tickets after this,” Philadelphia resident Stephanie Bain said.

“This is quite a production. I’m glad to see Philadelphia doing something like this,” Philadelphia resident Douglas Melluer said.

“I came out from New York just to see the show. Definitely looking forward to it,” Steve Harris, a New York resident, said.

Unfortunately for fans, the free previews are over. If people want to see the stars on Saturday and Sunday, they will have to buy a ticket.