HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WHNT) – Huntsville City is marching to its own beat. That is what Mayor Tommy Battle emphasized during this year’s State of the City address.

As the city continues to grow, the mayor says so does the variety of developments and new experiences to set the tempo.

Mayor Battle said even people who don’t live here are getting excited about what the Rocket City has to offer.

The city reported 30.9 million people visited Huntsville last year, which resulted in just over a $2 billion economic impact.

Mayor Battle said the city continues to stand proud of its workforce, school systems and quality of life and he believes the city can keep up the pace well into the future.

“We’re looking at new things. We’re looking at new ideas. We’re looking in the cyber world. We’re looking in the AI world. We’re looking in the advanced manufacturing world. We’re always looking at something different and we’re looking how to do it in a different way. Where do we march to a different beat? Do we uptempo it as we do it? I think thank you can say that this community is always moving forward and that’s part of making our own beat,” said Battle to News 19.

Mayor Battle delivered his address before a sold-out crowd at the Von Braun Center Saturn Ballroom.

The event was one of the liveliest we have ever seen. The Alabama A&M University’s Marching Maroon and White entertained with a “Conga” line through the crowd while playing the hit by Gloria Estefan and The Miami Sound Machine.

Battle says Huntsville is slowly becoming a Music City.

One of the announcements that garnered a big reaction from those in attendance was that the city could soon have its own music festival again.

“C3 presents a two-day festival done by the same people who do Austin City Limits. Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, which I’ve never been to. But when they we start talking about people who can do that kind of a who have the expertise to do that kind of a two-day festival. Wow. That will be something very special for the Rocket City.”

Mayor Battle said the city can sustain the growth it’s seeing. However, his office along with other city departments will continue to make sure that remains true as the city continues to expand.

Watch the full speech in the player below.