The best 4/20 events of North America 2020
David DownsMarch 23, 2020
This has got to be the weirdest 4/20 of all time.
It was supposed to be a month of 4/20! But a hyper-contagious, spiky lil’ boy called SARS-CoV-2 has scrambled the globe’s plans for the biggest annual stoner holiday of all time.
For example, San Francisco officials said they won’t permit the legendary 4/20 at Hippie Hill—the world’s biggest, most authentic 4/20 jam. That’s probably for the best. Tens of thousands of people penned in, coughing and sharing joints and bowls? We’d pass.
But adapt, we must—turning to online concerts on Instagram Live, Google Hangouts or Zoom-enabled parties with your social circle, you name it. Now is the time to pioneer new forms of community. Rise to the challenge!
Read on for a list of 4/20 events and non-events from sea to shining sea. We’ll scratch them off as they cancel.
And remember: 4/20 started as a secret gathering among close, trusted friends. Feel free to embrace that founding spirit of 4/20 this year.
Top 5 best free online concerts of 4/20
Artists are taking to Instagram, Facebook Live, and other social media platforms to perform live music. We’ll post some of our favorites right here. For now check out Vulture’s line-up of daily and upcoming online shows. The range is vast. Catch Willie Nelson, Paul Simon, or Diplo!
What is 4/20?
The term “420” began in San Rafael, CA, in the ’70s as a high school clique’s code for “let’s go smoke some weed at 4:20 p.m at the pre-designated location.”
The clique—known as The Waldos—spread ‘420’ locally. San Rafael’s Grateful Dead music scene spread the code phrase along to the Dead’s touring routes, seeing it internationally.
The rise of cannabis law reform in the ’90s—first with medical marijuana in 1996—brought the term “420” aboveground, where it became a rallying symbol in support for reform efforts. Over two decades, informal, non-sanctioned public observances of a day-long ‘cannabis holiday’ honoring 420 on April 20 (4/20) have morphed into licensed, permitted events—the biggest of which usually draw tens of thousands of people each year. Epidemiological modeling suggests otherwise for 2020. Many states may have severe restrictions on gatherings for the month of April.
Northern California’s best 4/20 Events
(view Northern California 420 cannabis deals)
420 Hippie Hill
420 Hippie Hill will not receive a permit from the city of San Francisco, which is under a shelter-in-place order through April 7, at the least. Non-essential public gatherings are a misdemeanor, and can result in a fine, arrest, or jail. It’s cool, though. We’re voluntarily flattening the curve here.
- Date: April 20
- Where: San Francisco, CA
- Tickets: Free
Cypress Hill 420 Show at the Fox
It doesn’t get more insane in the membrane than Cypress Hill in Oakland on 4/20. The event is not canceled as of press time. But no matter what happens with the Fox show, lead rapper B-Real will likely keep the party going online.
- Date: April 20
- Where: Oakland, CA
- Tickets: $42
High Times Cannabis Cup Central Valley 2020
High Times’ signature contest is postponed.
- Date: April 18-19
- Where: Sacramento
- Tickets: N/A
Doug Benson Countdown to 4/20
The human comedy version of stoner comfort food, Doug Benson is scheduled to countdown to 4/20 in the city by the Bay. We’ll see if it happens. Benson is net-savvy as heck, though, so watch for an online version.
- Date: April 19
- Where: San Francisco, CA
- Tickets: $20
Looking for legal cannabis? Leafly has all your local menus
Southern California’s best 4/20 Events
(view Southern California 420 cannabis deals)
Best bet: Tommy Chong: Live Love Smoke 4/20 Weekend Kickoff Tour
Tommy Chong does, like, a super-fancy VIP shindig, man. In Los Angeles. But dude, Wikipedia says Tommy Chong is, like, 81. So I’m not sure he should be kicking it with any strangers. At least until the Surgeon General gives the all-clear later this summer.
- Date: April 17
- Where: Los Angeles, CA
- Tickets: $194
Massachusetts’ best 4/20 Events
(view Massachusetts’ 420 cannabis deals)
Best bet: Art of Rolling Herbs: 420 Edition
Wouldn’t it be nice to learn a new stoner skill this 4/20? Take a little ‘herb’ rolling class in Mass? Meet some new people? Yeahhh. Sounds nice. Maybe if everyone stays six feet apart and you do it at a park? … Aaaanyway, here’s a backup plan: Leafly How To videos!
- Date: April 18
- Where: Boston, MA
- Tickets: $75
Tracy Morgan
Touring his new “Tracy Morgan: No Disrespect” material, the 30 Rock star had some recent words of wisdom March 19. “I’m just living my life. I’m taking it one day at a time. Yesterday’s history, tomorrow’s a mystery. Today’s the present. I’m in the present. I don’t know what the deal is tomorrow.” Neither do we. Or if this show will happen.
- Date: April 18
- Where: Boston, MA
- Tickets: $65
Illinois’ best 4/20 events
(view Illinois’ 420 cannabis deals)
Best bet: Chicago 420 Fest
Location TBD, this plan for a mix of food trucks, art, and entertainment seems ripe for a one-year postponement. Illinois’ Gov JB Pritzker has banned gatherings to slow the ‘rona. So no mona’ 250 people may gather in one place through May 1. Maybe just get delivery deep dish pizza and chill.
- Date: April 18
- Where: Chicago, IL
- Tickets: Free to $10
Chicago Cannabis Week
The first-annual, week-long celebration of newly legal cannabis in Illinois is still selling tickets.
- Date: April 19-25
- Where: Chicago, IL
- Tickets: $99
Cannagrow Expo
More than 2,000 attendees over two days chatting commercial cannabis grow stuff? Yeah, no. Postponed at least until November in Palm Springs, CA.
- Date: April 17-18
- Where: Chicago, IL
- Tickets: $69+
The Sesh Fest 2020
Should you frequent urban America’s underground “sesh” scene right now? How does a Wookie say, “Hell, no!” We expect the likes of Sesh Fest 2020 to cancel in the coming weeks.
- Date: April 18
- Where: Chicago, IL
- Tickets: $50
Florida’s best 4/20 events
(view Florida’s 420 cannabis deals)
Best bet: Liftoff
Damn, this two-day party headlined by one of the best rappers alive, Freddie Gibbs, would normally be banging. But the venue Basecamp Miami has canceled all events. Freddie, give us an online concert! That Tiny Desk concert was the jam!
- Date: April 18-19
- Where: Miami, FL
- Tickets: $45
420 Broward Festival 2020
Postponed due to covid19. See you next year, DJ Raw Miami! (Maybe at least cook it to Medium Miami next time.)
- Date: April 20
- Where: Davie, FL
- Tickets: $10
Washington DC’s best 4/20 events
(view Washington DC 420 cannabis deals)
Best bet: National Cannabis Festival
The National Cannabis Festival has blown up into the East Coast party to beat on 4/20. Alas, Washington DC’s mayor prohibited mass gatherings March 16. Maybe NCF will do something else cool instead.
- Date: April 18
- Where: Washington DC
- Tickets: $55
420 Stoner Fest 2020
As of press time, The 420 Stoner Fest is still a go! Just with “several measures to protect everyone’s safety”. Not so sure about that, though.
- Date: April 20
- Where: Washington DC
- Tickets: $40
Colorado’s best 4/20 events
(view New York 420 cannabis deals)
Best bet: Mile High 420 Festival
Lil Jon? Civic Center Park? About 10,000 people? Denver’s Mile High 420 Festival promoters have canceled this event, as Colorado Public Health has banned gatherings of more than ten.
- Date: April 20
- Where: Denver, CO
- Tickets: Free
Wellness Retreat: Snoop Dogg, Wiz Khalifa, and Cypress Hill
Man, this Red Rocks party with Snoop would have been the joint. But you know Snoop is going to take 4/20 digital, though. Bet.
- Date: April 16
- Where: Morrison, CO
- Tickets: $77
Method Man & Redman, Action Bronson, Afroman
The venue for this event has announced it is closed until further notice.
- Date: April 19
- Where: Denver, CO
- Tickets: $50
420 on the Rocks: Ice Cube, Method Man & Redman, Action Bronson
Red Rocks double dipped with not one, but two stoner rap nights around 4/20. They knew what’s good for them. This show added Ice Cube. Now the whole thing is on ice.
- Date: April 20
- Where: Morrison, CO
- Tickets: $65+
Nevada’s best 4/20 events
(view Nevada’s 420 cannabis deals)
Best bet: Reggae Rise Up Music Festival
This reggae blowout in Sin City is on the bubble, and the bubble’s about to pop. Nevada’s governor banned events through April 17, so promoters are essentially playing a game of chicken with a notorious new bat flu.
- Date: April 18-19
- Where: Las Vegas, NV
- Tickets: $55+
420 Cannabis Tour Las Vegas
Hmm, a party bus? I guess if the group was tiny, and everyone wore N95 masks, and you only smoked your own stuff. Here’s to innovating!
- Date: April 18
- Where: Las Vegas, NV
- Tickets: $199
New York’s best 4/20 events
(view New York 420 cannabis deals)
Best bet: 420 Reggae Fiesta on the River
I don’t know about getting on a crowded riverboat in New York right now. I think the Governor is trying to keep people from doing stuff like this. Probably likely to be banned. But one day it will be a cool idea.
- Date: April 18
- Where: New York, NY
- Tickets: $35
Weeding Out the Stoned 4/20/20 Tour
Eight comedians perform. Only one is high. The audience must decide! Fingers crossed we wrap this covid19 thing up in time for this third-annual sold-out gig.
- Date: April 19
- Where: New York, NY
- Tickets: $20
4/20 across America
- Washington’s best 4/20 events: 2nd Annual Spliff Film Festival, Seattle
- Michigan’s best 4/20 events: Detroit Cannabis Cup, Detroit
- Georgia’s best 4/20 events: Sweetwater 420 Fest, Atlanta
- Pennsylvania’s best 4/20 events: Pennsylvania Cannabis Festival, Kutztown
What cool online events are you tuning into for 4/20? Comment below!
Leafly freelancer Amelia Williams contributed to to this report.
David Downs
David Downs directs news and lifestyle coverage as the California Bureau Chief for Leafly.com. He's written for WIRED, Rolling Stone and Billboard, and is the former cannabis editor of the San Francisco Chronicle, as well as the author of several cannabis books including 'Marijuana Harvest' by Ed Rosenthal and David Downs. He co-hosts The Hash podcast. TW: @davidrdowns | IG @daviddowns
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