The AT&T "Playoff Playlist Live" music festival is underway in downtown Tampa.

  • Artists performing at Curtis Hixon Park through Sunday
  • Eric Paslay performed Friday night
  • Flo Rida to perform Saturday, Usher to perform Sunday

Country music singer/songwriter Eric Paslay kicked things off with a performance Friday night. The festival is yet another part of the slew of scheduled events tying into Monday night's College Football National Championship game featuring Alabama and Clemson.

College football fans at Curtis Hixon Park for the pre-game event couldn't have been more pleased.

"So far this is our first day here and we have had the best time," said Gwendolyn Proctor, who traveled to Tampa from Spartanburg, South Carolina. "The weather is beautiful, not to mention South Carolina is getting ready to snow."

"I think it's amazing to have it here," said Wesley Hubbard, who lives in Tampa. "When they anounced it would be here, I got so excited. Being an Alabama fan, you expect to be in it every year and here we are."

While music was the focus in the park, the National Championship game wasn't far from people's mind's.

"The venue is super. It couldn't be any better," said Gerald Proctor. "I don't know anything you could do to make it any better, other than Clemson beating Alabama. If you do that, it would be the perfect city."

Security was tight at the event following Friday's shootings in South Florida but police didn't report any threats or problems.

Flo Rida is set to perform for fans on Saturday night, while Usher will take the stage on Sunday.