San Francisco's annual 420 festival will not be held in Golden Gate Park next month, the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department and event organizer Sounds Bazaar announced Tuesday.
The huge celebration of cannabis culture that draws huge crowds to Hippie Hill and Robin Williams Meadow will instead be replaced by volleyball and kickball tournaments organized by Volo Sports. Billed as "Peace, Love and Volo Field Day" on April 20. You can sign up here.
Park officials blamed "economic challenges within the cannabis industry, making sponsorships hard to secure, and city budget cuts impacting Rec and Park's ability to cover staffing for the event."
There will be no stage, live music, or cannabis booths in the park.
“We understand the disappointment and hope to make it up with a great event next year,” said 420 organizer Alex Aquino. “We encourage everyone to go support their local equity brands, dispensaries, and lounges on 420 as we all celebrate plant medicine. Additionally, we are inviting everyone to join us next month at Carnaval May 25, 26 as one of SF's longest-running free community cultural events."
As an alternative to the traditional party in the park, the first-ever SF Weed Week arrives in San Francisco on April 13. It continues past April 20—"bringing thousands of Bay Area smokers and tourists a lineup of seven nights of seven top-shelf growers premiering seven world-class strains at seven world-class San Francisco lounges," according to a press release announcing 420's cancellation. There's more information on that here.