It's 4/20! Marijuana enthusiasts celebrate high holiday at Hippie Hill
SAN FRANCISCO - The high holiday, 4/20, has rolled around, and San Francisco is once again playing host to the largest free cannabis event in the state.
The day includes a full roster of events at Golden Gate Park's Hippie Hill, where the city expects about 20,000 people to pack the park.
"It’s a beautiful day," Jakar Lowe of Redwood City said. "Weather really plays a factor. I came out early and if there are any clouds, I plan to blow some smoke their way to clear them out."
Lowe was one of the early revelers who arrived along with vendors.
Marshawn Lynch is bud tender on 4/20 to lift up 'as many people as he can'
Marshawn Lynch says he invested in the cannabis industry because he wants to lift up as many people as he can.
"Food and cannabis goes hand-in-hand," said David Glass of Gourmet Faire. "Today we're offering homemade corn dogs and our crab garlic fries. We're ready for the masses."
Cannabis organizers said the event will run through 5 p.m and is hosted by musician Erykah Badu.
This is the second year that onsite cannabis sales are legal at the event. The San Francisco Recreation and Park Department and the city's Office of Cannabis have been working for months with organizers to keep the city-sanctioned event safe and peaceful.
San Francisco's once underground 4/20 celebration, now a commercial and cultural event
Golden Gate Park's Robin Williams Meadow was a hive of activity Wednesday as crews prepared to host 20,000 cannabis enthusiasts for the 4/20 unofficial holiday. The celebration has underground origins, but has become both a cultural and commercial event.
"It's always a peaceful event, but it draws about 20,000 people, so it's been a massive coordinating effort between the city and the organizer," said Tamara Barak Aparton of the Recreation and Park Department.
"We’re asking people to respect our parks, respect our surrounding neighborhoods, respect each other. We want everyone to have a great time. Throw away your trash, pick up after yourself and leave things as you found it," Aparton said.
For security measures, 100 security guards will patrol Hippie Hill. There will also be 163 portable toilets, extra parking patrol officers, and a cleanup crew.
Traffic in the area will be heavy. The city is encouraging people to take public transportation, adding there are free Muni shuttles available from Golden State Park to the Civic Center Bart Station.
Because there will be cannabis sales and consumption, no one under the age of 21 is allowed in. Identification is required.