From Denver’s high-altitude smoke clouds to D.C.’s advocacy-fueled concerts, 4/20 festivals have grown from grassroots smoke-outs into full-blown cultural touchstones. For many enthusiasts, planning the year’s travel calendar now starts with one question: where are you spending 4/20?
Mile High 420 Festival – Denver, Colorado
If 4/20 had a capital city, Denver would make a strong claim. The Mile High 420 Festival packs Civic Center Park with tens of thousands of fans, national hip-hop headliners, vendors, and larger-than-life clouds over the Rocky Mountain skyline. Recent lineups have featured artists like Cordae and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, underscoring how this once-informal rally has morphed into a major free music festival with VIP upgrades and brand activations.
Yet the spirit is still proudly countercultural. Local coverage notes that the celebration began as a political protest and has evolved into a massive community party that shuts down nearby streets. Expect food trucks, merch tents, glass artists, and an ocean of blankets spread across the lawn. Details and tickets live at: www.milehigh420fest.com
National Cannabis Festival – Washington, D.C.
In the nation’s capital, 4/20 energy takes on an advocacy edge. The National Cannabis Festival at RFK Campus blends big-name concerts, an exhibitor fair, education pavilions, and a robust policy program calling for federal reform. Attendees wander from live music to Grower’s World demos, wellness workshops, and panels on equity, expungement, and banking access, creating a weekend that feels like a mash-up of music fest, trade show, and civil-rights conference.
With crowds stretching across the festival grounds and banners calling for “federal legalization now,” the vibe is equal parts block party and movement rally. Travelers can lock in tickets, hotel partners, and VIP options at: www.nationalcannabisfestival.com
Ann Arbor Hash Bash & Monroe Street Fair – Ann Arbor, Michigan
Well before most states considered legalization, Hash Bash was already lighting up the University of Michigan Diag. Held on the first Saturday in April, this historic gathering dates back to 1972 and grew out of protests around the imprisonment of poet and activist John Sinclair for marijuana possession.
Today, Hash Bash remains a free, daytime rally of speeches, music, and civil disobedience, often drawing thousands who pack the Diag with signs, smoke, and student-townie solidarity. Just off campus, the Monroe Street Fair extends the party with a music festival, vendor booths, and plenty of elevated people-watching. Visitors can scope schedules, lineups, and sponsor info at: www.hashbash.com
420 Hippie Hill – San Francisco, California (The Spiritual Classic)
Even with official events paused in recent years, San Francisco’s 4/20 gatherings on Hippie Hill in Golden Gate Park remain legendary. For decades, tens of thousands of enthusiasts have converged here to celebrate cannabis culture, inspired by the Bay Area roots of the “420” code itself.
City announcements confirm that the sanctioned festival at Robin Williams Meadow has been canceled for budget and logistical reasons, but news outlets still report big, unofficial crowds each April 20. Travelers chasing that historic vibe can watch updates via www.420hippiehill.com
and local news before packing their picnic blankets.
Wherever they land—mile-high parks, Capitol-side stages, Midwestern quads, or foggy San Francisco hillsides—4/20 festival-goers are chasing the same thing: a shared, joyful moment where music, legalization wins, and good flower all come together in one giant, hazy cheer.