Through music, education, art, agriculture, and more, festivals from New York to San Francisco are taking the stigma out of celebrating cannabis.
As legalization expands and cultural attitudes shift, a new kind of festival has taken shape: events where cannabis isn’t hidden or sidelined, but thoughtfully integrated into the experience. Some such gatherings, like the National Cannabis Festival in Washington, DC, are fully cannabis-focused. Others, like Outside Lands in San Francisco, CA, carve out a designated space for it. Either way, these festivals make cannabis approachable, accessible, and exciting.
Keep reading for can’t-miss events all over North America that are worth traveling for, along with all the details you need to start planning your next trip. And while you might be traveling with the festival in mind, trips like this are the perfect excuse to explore a new place or return to an old favorite.
In this article:
🎉 Cannifest
🎉 National Cannabis Festival
🎉 Florida Groves
🎉 New York Cannabis Parade
🎉 California Cannabis Experience at the California State Fair
🎉 Outside Lands
🎉 Boston Freedom Rally
🎉 PotStars of California 420 Celebration
🎉 CCTA 420 Festival
🎉 Reggae on the River
🎉 Million Mushroom March
Cannifest — Humboldt County, CA
Guests of all ages are welcome at Cannifest, where programming focuses not just on the plant, but also on sustainable lifestyles, organic farming, live music, and more. The event brings together legacy growers, emerging brands, artists, and travelers for a weekend of fun that leans more into grassroots vibes than corporate cannabis culture. Expect everything from grower competitions and cannabis lounges to makers’ markets, panels, food vendors, and late-night sets—all surrounded by the community that helped shape the modern cannabis landscape.
📍Location: Arcata Ballpark in Humboldt County, CA
💰 Cost: General admission starts at $69. Kids 12 and under are free.
🗓️ Next up: September 12-13, 2026
🔗 Website: cannifest.com
🛏️ Stay over: Find a nearby hotel in Humboldt County.
National Cannabis Festival — Washington, DC
Held each year at the RFK Festival Grounds in Washington, DC, the National Cannabis Festival blends live music, cannabis culture, food, advocacy, and education into one of the East Coast’s biggest cannabis gatherings. Major music performances share space with policy discussions, grower workshops, wellness programming, munchie zones, and brand activations, all unfolding just miles from the U.S. Capitol. It’s equal parts summer festival and cannabis industry snapshot, making it worth the trip whether you’re deeply involved in the space or just cannabis-curious.
📍Location: RFK Festival Grounds in Washington, DC
💰 Cost: General admission starts at $65 for a one-day pass.
🗓️ Next up: July 18-19, 2026
🔗 Website: nationalcannabisfestival.com
🛏️ Stay over: Find a nearby hotel in Washington, DC.
PotStars of California 420 Celebration — Sacramento, CA
The PotStars of California 420 Celebration brings the cannabis-forward festivities to California’s capital city. The day-long event is all about connecting the Sacramento community with the area’s local cultivators, growers, manufacturers, and dispensaries. Mark your calendar for this vibrant gathering, where you’ll find licensed sales and consumption, live entertainment, education, giveaways, brand activations, food trucks, interactive experiences, and so much more.
📍Location: Cal Expo in Sacramento, CA
💰 Cost: General admission starts at $40
🗓️ Next up: April 2027
🔗 Website: potstarsca.com
🛏️ Stay over: Find a nearby hotel in Sacramento.
The Boston Freedom Rally — Boston, MA
Boston Common sets the scene for the annual Boston Freedom Rally, a tentpole cannabis advocacy event since 1989. The extravaganza includes two days of cannabis activism, live music, educational panels, engaging speakers, artist demos, and more. If you live in the New England area or are passing through during the third weekend in September, this is by far the premier cannabis gathering in the region.
📍Location: Boston Common in Boston, MA
💰 Cost: General admission starts at $269 for a one-day pass.
🗓️ Next up: September 18-19, 2026
🔗 Website: www.masscann.org
🛏️ Stay over: Find a nearby hotel in Boston, MA.
Florida Groves — Orlando, FL
Not many people know that the Florida Groves gathering in the Sunshine State is deeply rooted in cannabis. The festival’s organizers are the same team behind Dab Day, which has brought cannabis enthusiasts together across the state for more than 10 years. Dab Day’s success led to Florida Groves, a two-day tentpole event that divides the fairgrounds into “groves” that highlight the best of Florida. At Green Grove, cannabis takes center stage, with vendors, cultivators, rolling artists, photo opportunities, and more. Elsewhere at the event, guests can explore live music, art, crafts, food, and the largest glass-blowing demonstration in the United States.
📍Location: Central Florida Fairgrounds in Orlando, FL
💰 Cost: not yet announced
🗓️ Next up: April 10-11, 2027
🔗 Website: floridagroves.com
🛏️ Stay over: Find a nearby hotel in Orlando, FL.
New York Cannabis Parade — New York, NY
Since its inception in 1972, the New York Cannabis Parade has gone by several names, but no matter what you call it, the conversation and laws around cannabis would be very, very different without this landmark event. The free gathering was originally organized to help encourage decriminalization, legalization, and a better understanding of the plant, but now that cannabis is legal in New York, the parade has become more of a party than a rally. “We want to make it like the Pride Parade,” says Kenny Toglia, the event’s chief organizer. “A celebration of the culture of cannabis.”
📍Location: Washington Square Park to Union Square in New York, NY
💰 Cost: Free!
🗓️ Next up: May 2027
🔗 Website: nycannabisparade.com
🛏️ Stay over: Find a nearby hotel in Manhattan, NY
The California Cannabis Experience at the California State Fair — Sacramento, CA
The California State Fair first experimented with a cannabis presence in 2021, and since then, the California Cannabis Experience has become the largest exhibit across the entire event. Attendees who are 21+ can interact with more than 50 exhibitors and vendors, listen to live music, consume freely, and celebrate the best of the California cannabis community past, present, and future.
📍Location: Cal Expo in Sacramento, CA
💰 Cost: General admission starts at $16 per day.
🗓️ Next up: July 17-August 2, 2026
🔗 Website: calcannabisawards.com
🛏️ Stay over: Find a nearby hotel in Sacramento.
Outside Lands — San Francisco, CA
For three days in August, festivalgoers flock to Outside Lands in Golden Gate Park to experience top-tier live music and celebrate local culture. The event divides the park into distinct “lands” that focus on everything from Napa Valley wineries and local cuisine to live art installations and even marriages performed right on site! Patrons who are California sober should make sure to visit Grass Lands, a cannabis-forward space that features on-site sales and consumption, education, and tons of 420-forward fun.
📍Location: Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, CA
💰 Cost: General admission starts at $269 for a one-day pass.
🗓️ Next up: August 7-9, 2026
🔗 Website: sfoutsidelands.com
🛏️ Stay over: Find a nearby hotel in San Francisco.
CCTA 420 Festival — Niagara Falls, Ontario
Every year over 4/20 weekend, the Canadian Cannabis Tourism Association hosts the 420 Festival, an immersive experience showcasing the wonderful world of cannabis travel in Canada. From live entertainment and educational panels to brand activations and cooking demos, the programming slate highlights how cannabis and tourism go hand in hand. While the event is open to the public, attendance is limited to guests 18 and older.
📍Location: Old Stone Inn in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
💰 Cost: not yet announced
🗓️ Next up: April 2027
🔗 Website: canadiancannabistourism.com
🛏️ Stay over: Find a nearby hotel in Niagara Falls.
Reggae on the River — Humboldt County, CA
Reggae on the River in Humboldt County has been going strong since 1984, and while it’s not specifically geared toward cannabis, the atmosphere is undoubtedly plant-friendly. “We used to have sectioned-off zones dedicated to cannabis, but since cannabis is so ingrained into our local culture in Humboldt County, now it’s integrated into the festival just like all of the other vendors,” explains Nicole Bondurant, the event’s advertising director. The three-day, family-friendly extravaganza takes place along the shores of the Eel River, with a slate of live music, artisans, growers, chefs, and other small businesses from all over the state.
📍Location: County Line Ranch in Humboldt County, CA
💰 Cost: General admission starts at $259
🗓️ Next up: August 14-16, 2026
🔗 Website: reggaeontheriver.com
🛏️ Stay over: 90% of attendees camp, glamp, or stay in RVs on site.
Million Mushroom March — 30+ cities worldwide
Okay, so this event technically focuses on mushrooms, not marijuana, but it’s definitely worth including on our list of cannabis-friendly festivals worth traveling for. Part protest, part parade, and part public gathering, the Million Mushroom March convenes advocates, activists, researchers, and curious attendees to push for the decriminalization and destigmatization of psychedelic fungi and plant medicines. You can join the celebration in 30+ cities worldwide, and while the program varies by location, you’ll find a joyous public demonstration centered around policy reform, healing, and access no matter where you attend.
📍Location: 30+ cities on 4 continents
💰 Cost: Free!
🗓️ Next up: May 2027
🔗 Website: millionmushroommarch.org
🛏️ Stay over: Find a hotel nearby.
What are your favorite cannabis-friendly events? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
