Organizers are pulling the plug on this year’s 420 festival, a massive celebration of cannabis culture in San Francisco that for decades has drawn tens of thousands of revelers.
Citing city budget cuts and a struggling cannabis industry as the main reasons behind the decision to cancel this year, organizers said the annual event at Golden Gate Park’s Sharon Meadows — aka Hippie Hill — would be back on in 2025.
“We understand the disappointment and hope to make it up with a great event next year,” 420 festival organizer Alex Aquino said in a statement. “We encourage everyone to go support their local equity brands, dispensaries, and lounges on 420 as we all celebrate plant medicine … Wherever you go, be safe and be respectful of whatever spaces you occupy.”
The yearly gathering on Hippie Hill, located near the city’s historic Haight-Ashbury neighborhood, has become a mecca for fans of cannabis culture. But those crowds have been costly and difficult to maintain in recent years.
“Hippie Hill in San Francisco has been the navel of cannabis culture for over a decade,” said David Downs, cannabis journalist and creator of SF Weed Week. “It started out as a protest, but it got so big that the city tried to regulate it. It faces a lot of problems that people will recognize in the city: the high cost of production and a cannabis industry that is more focused on its bottom line.”
The cannabis industry itself has also continued to shift since legalization, Downs added, adding new challenges for vendors and local cannabis businesses.
“Cannabis industry revenues in California have plateaued at about $5 billion a year; tax revenue has also plateaued at about $1 billion a year,” he said. “Yet, margins in the cannabis industry continue to be thin as it switches from a producer economy to a consumer economy.”
Every April 20, Hippie Hill brings together local cannabis companies to run on-site dispensaries, along with food and drink vendors, plus live music and DJs on site. Past performers at the event have included Erykah Badu, Too Short, Berner and more.
Services like rest and decompression tents, medical services, bathrooms and clean-up crews have also all increased as the event has grown in size over the years.
Golden Gate Park will remain open to the public on April 20, and cannabis fans will surely be celebrating. It’s unclear exactly how the city plans to handle any unsanctioned events that may come up.
Organizers are urging residents to support their local dispensaries and celebrate “in a place that’s special and local to them,” Tamara Barak Aparton, spokesperson for SF Recreation and Park Department, said in a press statement.
Instead of the cannabis festival, SF Recreation and Park Department plans to run volleyball and kickball tournaments at Robin Williams Meadow on April 20.
This year, San Francisco is also hosting its first-ever Weed Week. Cannabis-themed events — from art shows to speaking engagements and plenty of deals for consumers — will pop up across the city from April 13–19.
“420 is very much on in San Francisco,” Downs said, despite this year’s cancellation. “San Francisco has the finest cannabis flowers, growers, and experiences in the world — we look forward to helping to write the next chapter for this marvelous city.”
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