This 4/20 will be one to remember, no matter how much you puff.
One in five Americans now lives in a state with legal, adult use cannabis laws. From sea to shining sea—concerts, contests, film festivals, and expos are going off on April 20, which this year falls on a Saturday.
What was once high school code for meeting up and getting lifted (“420!”) has transformed over a generation into a rallying cry for cannabis culture and liberation.
With ten legal adult-use states, plus Washington, D.C., the parties are bigger than ever. We rounded up this year’s absolute biggest, baddest throwdowns on April 20th and the surrounding weekend. So mark your calendars and stock up.
Top 5 Best 420 Parties in the US
1) Kaya Fest 2019 with the Marley Family, Bayfront Park, Miami, FL
2) Snoop Dogg + Ice Cube at Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO
3) Ludacris + Action Bronson at National Cannabis Festival, RFK Stadium, Washington DC
4) High Times Cannabis Cup—Central Valley, Cal Fair Expo, Sacramento, CA
5) SPLIFF Film Fest, Revolution Hall, Portland, OR
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 intersection with the Grateful Dead music scene passed the code phrase along to the Grateful Dead’s touring culture, who shared 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 symbol of 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 draw tens of thousands of people each year.
The Best 420 Parties in the US – Full Listings
Northern California’s Best 420 Events
BEST BET: 420 Trippie Hill w/ Berner & Friends
Join the man behind the Cookies strain craze, Berner, with other Bay Area musical guests Nef the Pharaoh, Los Rakas and Kool John for a day and night show.
High Times Cannabis Cup 2019 – Central Valley
(Courtesy High Times)
Musicians Rae Srummond, Schoolboy Q, Soulja Boy, Too $hort, and Afroman lead off the festivities in Sacramento April 20-21—alongside a consumption expo and cannabis contest that is High Times’ namesake.
Exploratorium After Dark: Cannabis
Two days before 4/20, San Francisco’s world-class exploratorium delves into the social, judicial, economic, and environmental impacts of legalization. Also, a cow eyeball dissection.
The 3rd Annual 420 Bud Drop at Hippie Hill 2019
Grab a patch of grass early and get reeeaaally comfortable for a massive, daylong smokeout in San Francisco’s famed Golden Gate Park. Sponsors pay for extra trash cans, bathrooms, and security.
Also in the Bay: Snoop Dogg at Oracle Arena
Southern California’s Best 420 Events
Best Bet: Phish’s Trey Anastasio at the Greek Theatre
In terms of 4/20’s cultural north pole, it’s going to be hard top the iconic jam band’s lead vocalist at the hallowed Los Angeles venue on Friday, April 19. Anastasio plays at the other Greek in Berkeley, CA. the next night.
Shred 420
Get into the “laissez faire vibe” of one of the best Grateful Dead cover bands, Grateful Shred, as they headline an irie day at the Echo + Echoplex on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles.
Also in L.A.: The Budtrader Ball with NBA’s John Salley; Baked Eggs brunch with Netflix’s “Cooking on High” Chef Andi Leon and host SweetTatas.
Oregon’s Best 420 Events
Best Bet: SPLIFF Film Fest
The inaugural “first film festival created by the stoned, for the stoned” features about 20 shorts, experimental films, and headscratchers.
Washington’s Best 420 Events
Best Bet: Cheech & Chong
Can we talk about this for a second? Cheech and Chong are playing a casino off the I-5 in Tacoma on 4/20. The actual comedians Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong. Good for Tacoma, you know? All hail the kings.
SPLIFF Film Fest
From the creators of HUMP! and Savage Love— the “first film festival created by the stoned, for the stoned” has show dates both in Portland and Seattle.
Also in Washington: Lil Pump & Lil Skies; Tech N9Ne
Nevada’s Best 420 Events
Snoop Dogg
Reserve a bottle ahead of time for Snoop’s official gathering at Drai’s Nightclub to celebrate 25 years of his debut album Doggystyle on the last stop of his 420 Wellness Retreat tour.
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony
Enjoy a thuggish, ruggish musical legacy almost 30 years in the making at the Brooklyn Bowl in Las Vegas. Guests get special discounts at Caesar’s Palace.
Colorado’s Best 420 Events
Best Bet: Merry Jane’s 420 Wellness Retreat
(Courtesy Merry Jane)
Snoop Dogg kicks off his sixth annual 420 Wellness Retreat tour with Ice Cube and Warren G at Colorado’s Red Rocks Amphitheatre.
420 Eve on the Rocks
311, Method Man, and Redman return to headline this pre-4/20 concert.
Mile High 420 Festival with T.I. and Jermaine Dupri
An admission-free public gathering with music, food trucks, and cannabis vendors galore in front of the Colorado Capitol in downtown Denver.
- Date: April 20
- Where: Civic Center Park, Denver, CO
- Tickets: Free
Also in Colorado: Stick Figure with Steel Pulse at Red Rocks
Washington, DC’s Best 420 Events
BEST BET: National Cannabis Festival
(Courtesy National Cannabis Festival)
Ludacris, Action Bronson, DJ Biz Markie, and much more perform amidst exhibitions, munchies, and cannabis in the country’s capital.
Also in DC Area: Charm City Smokefest, Baltimore
New York’s Best 420 Events
Full Spectrum
Humble Bloom presents the launch of New Highs CBD, with signature cocktails by Warren Bobrow with Gem & Bolt, live music, movement, and other goodies.
- When: April 20
- Where: The William Vale, New York, NY
- Tickets: $40 (ages 21+)
Also in New York: Higher Etiquette Live; GRN DAY 420
More States
Amelia Williams contributed to this report.
What’s your best 4/20 event of all time? Comment below.
