Nickolas Holcomb
October 24, 2026
Over the weekend, Big Pink hosted the second annual Cartoons and Stereo festival, a nostalgia-filled youth-driven event featuring the work of Detroit’s creative community. The festival featured 16 musical acts, but this was far from just a music festival – it was a cultural showcase combining music, clothing and skating for an all-day experience.
“I feel like the music, skateboarding, and vintage clothing scenes are very much thriving in their own silos, but there is so much in common between the three of them.” stoop lee, a host of the event, told WDET 101.9, “I wanted to do something that brings them all together and celebrates all three.”
Cartoons and Stereo did just that. Between the immensely talented lineup including Detroit legend Karriem Riggins, up-and-coming DJ Cozy Cole G, and headliner, MAVI, the performances all came with their own sound and styles, making the concert space an area that never got stale.
Later in the day, stoop lee’s and Curtis Roach’s performance both stood out as excellent. While operating in a similar genre, both artists brought a live performance to their practice as rappers. Live instruments behind them influenced the feel of the set, as if it was an homage to the jazz and R&B that lead to the genre as we enjoy it today.
While the various featured artists were pouring their hearts into the microphone, the event was also filled with prominent players of Detroit’s vibrant fashion community, with Dos Jefes, Detroit is Not Dead, Rehab the City and more brands from around the city selling their clothes.
To complement the music and fashion, Red Bull transformed Big Pink’s hangar into a make-shift skate park complete with a bowl, rails, and ramps, Skaters took advantage of the open-skate session throughout the event until the big contest began.
Equipped with roller skates and skateboards, contestants took turns jamming while the judge watched, with a cash prize given to the best skater and the best trick.
During the first set of male contestants, someone tried to jump off the top of the bowl, and the switchboard went off. EVERYONE had to land the 15 foot drop. The skaters took turns.
The first skater landed it and the crowd erupted — it had been done — and other skaters followed suit to similar applause, with one of the skaters jumping, but instead of landing on his board, he landed and split the board in half. From there, the electricity never went static as the audience watched, anticipating what could happen next.
The best-trick-winning move came when a contestant did a kick flip off the top of the bowl, and after so many had tried and failed, nothing could beat it.
By the time the contest ended, the sun had gone down and the chilly Michigan fall had set in. As soon as the audience hype from the contest had died down, another took its place — the dunk contest.
A nine-foot rim had been brought out, and the audience crowded around it leaving just enough space for contestants to take off. After an impressive show from all participants, it came down to a best of three finalists.
After one of the contestants went up 1-0, this opponent had to go all-in to win the cash prize - it was time to get the audience involved. The contestant went out into the audience and grabbed a shorter member and told them, “I’m going to jump over you.”
I don’t know the level of commitment or confidence you would have to have to be selected as an audience member where someone says they’re going to jump over you, but somehow the stage was set.
The audience held their breath as the audience member ducked with the ball, the contestant got a running start, and took off, clearing the audience member. After, the crowd flooded the court, as it was clear the best trick of the night had tied the series 1-1.
After going back and forth on hard dunk attempts, his opponent would take the victory with a behind the back dunk, a hype end to the contests of the day.
As skaters picked up their boards, markets packed up their offerings and the music stopped, a buzz lingered amongst the audience; it was a buzz thrilled with the vibrancy of Detroit culture. For its second year, much like its first, Cartoons and Stereos was a mirror of a city where every corner is filled with creativity. Big Pink offered the space, and as always, Detroit showed up.
Learn more about the Cartoons and Stereo festival at instagram.com/cartoonsandstereo.