Best Cannabis Festivals to Attend This Year…or Next Year

2020 left many of us stoners smoking alone in our living rooms with no real concept of when normal social activities would resume. Now that we seem to be near the finish line (or at least making excellent progress) of being able to resume some form of normalcy, most of us are chomping at the bits to re-download dating apps, hit our favorite social scenes, and do some traveling. We’ve had an entire year to relax and catch up on sleep, so it stands to reason that we’re going to be looking to get a little wild and let out some of that pent up energy and what better place to do that than outdoor festivals? Being that your weed stash was…wait for it…your best bud last year, why not search for festivals where other people also share the same love for weed as you? That’s what motivated us to put together a guide to the best cannabis festivals to attend this year…or next year. 

National Cannabis Festival - Washington, DC

We’ve got good news and bad news about this mecca of like-minded cannabis lovers. The good news is that this festival offers nearly everything you could desire. From a “Cannatank” where cannabis business owners can pitch business ideas for the potential to win prizes like $1,000 in start-up assistance and brand consultation from PR agency, High Street PR to exhibitor and vendor fairs, concerts, a “munchies zone”, a veteran’s lounge, educational events, and even a weed wedding! We promised you good and bad news though….unfortunately the National Cannabis Festival which was originally planned to occur in April, has been postponed due to everyone’s favorite virus, COVID. Hopefully, the delay won’t be too far out. We recommend checking the NCF website for updates as they will be announcing the 2021 National Cannabis Festival rescheduled date on June 1^st. This is one that you don’t want to miss. 

420 Cannabis Festival - Lansing, MI

With Michigan having legalized bud less than three years ago, it’s high time that some legit canna-festivals start showing up. Much like the NCF being rescheduled, so has Michigan’s 420 Cannabis Festival. Now scheduled for Friday, August 13^th, 2021 and Saturday, August 14^th, 2021, organizers of this event label the party as “the first official Michigan marijuana smoke friendly event”, which sounds like our kind of party! Like any good festival, this outdoor event will be packed with live concerts, food trucks, merchandise, vendors, and of course…a hell of a lot of smoking! With Michigan fully embracing the cannabis community, this sounds like the perfect type of event for a weekend road trip with your friends. 

Cannival - Gunnison, CO

4/20 was a complete bust, so most folks are looking to make up for lost time during this year’s weed holiday. What better place to spend a day getting blazed than Gunnison, CO, the town responsible for being the first location in the US to allow the sale of completely legal, recreational cannabis? This time, we’re heading across the country to take a look at Colorado’s Cannival which is being held on April 20^th, 2021 at the I Bar Ranch. This event is setting itself up to be a cornucopia of stoner friendly activities. This is the 2^nd annual production of this festival that “celebrates life, art, and live music”. Grab your bud and your buds and get ready for a memorable (assuming you don’t indulge in too much weed) experience in the centennial state! Don’t forget to pack camping gear as onsite camping spots are available to patrons of this green-friendly festival. 

Pennsylvania Cannabis Festival - Kutztown, PA

Last year’s PA Cannabis Festival was yet another victim to COVID, but this year the event planners are ready to rock-n-roll. This festival, which touts the motto, “freedom through growth”, is being held April 17^th and 18^th, 2021 at the Renninger’s Farmers Market in Kutztown, PA. Not only is admission to this event free to the public, but they also allow leashed pets to tag along. This event will host “over 150 vendors, live music, canna-centric speakers, and discussion panels”. A quick glance at the list of canna-vendors who will be appearing at the venue is enough reason to justify making a trip to the 5^th most populated state in the country. Given the promotional goodies you’ll probably score just from the vendors, we had no choice but to put this one on our list of festivals to add to your agenda. 

The Great American Sesh In - San Francisco, CA / Virtual

Perhaps you’re still a little weary regarding gathering in large groups like festival settings, but you still want to be a part of the cannabis festival scene, well this may just be what you’re looking for! Another 4/20 festival, the Great American Sesh In labels itself as a “live in-person and online cannabis industry mixer to benefit the last prisoner project”. Being held at San Francisco’s Midway Outdoor Patio (as well as streaming on Twitch), this event is perfect for the cannabis business minded stoner. The agenda includes “celebrity musicians, comedians, and industry luminaries”. Being that this event is aimed to benefit an excellent organization (Last Prisoner Project), we recommend giving it a visit, either in-person or livestreamed! 

Bonnaroo - Manchester, TN

Okay, we wanted all the festivals on this list to be cannabis-centric but couldn’t help ourselves in adding Bonnaroo 2021 to our must-attend event list. With last year’s event being cancelled, this year is surely going to be jaw-dropping. This multi-day event is scheduled for September 2^nd-5^th, 2021 in Manchester, TN. The A-lister musical artist lineup is enough reason to get your ticket today, with performances by the Foo Fighters, Megan Thee Stallion, Lizzo, Tyler the Creator, Lana Del Rey, and countless other heavy hitters. Bonnaroo usually has around 70,000-80,000 people in attendance so be prepared to interact with a lot of like-minded stoners like yourself! 

Obviously, it would have taken ages to discuss each and every cannabis festival planned for 2021. There’s a lot of pent-up energy in the cannabis world, especially with recent progression in legalization (shout out to New York!). If you’re looking for a up-to-date calendar of future cannabis events, CelebStoner has an excellent schedule of events that is routinely updated. Let us know what your favorite festival is and where you plan on going next. We’re always looking for new festivals to toke up at!