Seattle Hempfest

[old hippie 56]

Didn't know where to post this so here it is. Mark on your calendars, August 16 & 17 Seattle Hempfest. Here is a link:
Seattle Hempfest | August 16-17, 2008

[Expat98]

Seattle Hempfest 2008: A celebration of all things cannabis

August 16-17, 2008


A Hempfest attendee flies a marijuana
flag at a past festival.

This weekend on the Puget Sound waterfront, Myrtle Edwards Park plays host to America's largest marijuana law reform event in the 17th annual Seattle Hempfest. The festival, the purpose of which is to educate the public on the many uses and benefits of the cannabis plant, runs from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and promises nonstop entertainment.

Hempfest will include five stages featuring hundreds of speakers and music performers. Key speakers include PBS travel show host Rick Steves, author of The Emperor Wears No Clothes Jack Herer, and NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) founder Keith Stroup.

The Hemposium Stage will offer attendees a chance to participate in panel discussions with many of the Hempfest speakers, which John Davis, the event's board chairman, said is an opportunity not to be missed.

"The panels will provide a chance to hear people that really know what they're talking about discuss the issues," Davis said, adding, "It's really a neat experience to get to talk directly to the speakers."

Among the issues on tap for this weekend, industrial uses of cannabis will be at the forefront, as this year's theme is "Industrial Hemp, and what it can do for America."

"There are a lot of issues that surround the big issue, which is the legal status of the plant, but we do like to bring up industrial usage," Davis said.

Although the issue of marijuana legalization is at the center of Hempfest, the festival's always-impressive band lineup is a major reason why it is expected to draw more than 150,000 people to the waterfront this weekend. Among the many bands performing on the event's five stages will be L.D.T. Mo-Thugs (featuring members from Grammy-winning Bone Thugs-n-Harmony), Vains of Jenna, and Herbivores. Because the event is free and run by a nonprofit organization, most of the acts are volunteering their time to support the cause.

Any event involving the legality of marijuana is sure to raise the question of police presence. However, Seattle Hempfest has a fairly clean bill on this issue and works closely with Seattle Police to ensure a safe festival environment. Davis said he has been especially impressed with the efforts put forth by police during past Hempfests.

"The police have really shown our group the meaning of protect and serve," Davis said.

Hempfest is free and largely put on by volunteers, with funding coming from a combination of vendor revenue, sponsorships, and donations. However, Davis estimates that the average donation at last year's event was somewhere around 15 cents. 15 cents! So with two days chock full of complimentary entertainment, enjoy some speeches and concerts and then open up that billfold and contribute a little more than a nickel and dime for a great cause.

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http://blog.seattlepi.nwsource.com/s...ves/146186.asp

[Expat98]

Originally Posted by old hippie 56

Didn't know where to post this so here it is.

Events should be posted in the "Drug Culture" forum (which is a sub-forum of The Euphoric Mind). Use the "Events" prefix when posting events.

I added this to the calendar.

[old hippie 56]

Thanks, had a temporary mind shift that day.

[Heretic.Ape.]

Me and monkey went to Seattle Hempfest several years ago. Good time had by all; great music, happy people, tasty goo-balls with plenty of vitamin C, etc. If you're in the area I suggest you and your pet stopping by.

[Expat98]

Originally Posted by old hippie 56

Thanks, had a temporary mind shift that day.

Understood. Thanks for posting.

[Greenport]

Did anybody here get to go to this??? If so and they have pictures they should post em

[Junket]

went last year and it was crazy.

sooo many diverse people from all walks of live.

at 4:20 they threw joints out into the crowd and everyone was just passing them around and getting baked together

[Dave_the_stoner]

It's happening again this weekend, I'll be there, anyone else going to make it?

[enhancion01]

Swim attended hempfest 2009 on sunday =)

It was great swim had loads of fun.
no pics sorry =(

This was swims 2nd hempfest.
Its just a ton of walking and smoking and theres a bunch of stages... tons of pipes and bongs for sale...
speakers, activists... and of course protesters ;p
The worlds largest blunt (supposedly)
All day long blunts and joints are thrown into the crowd by performers.
The catch is: Swimmers can smoke weed in public all day long and the cops wont arrest you. (cant arrest everyone or your asking for a riot)
Swim lit a blunt in front of 4 cops and they didint even seem to care.

Swim ended up eating a whole batch of extreamly potent "speacial" brownies.... 8th of shroomz.... yea...

Good times =)
(swim doesent remember going home lol)

[funkcentralstation]

Not to sound like a snobby hipster, but swim thinks that hempfest is "over" and decidedly un fun. people in seattle and all over the world have already come to the consensus that hemp should be legal, so what's the point of having this big gathering of weed smokers? to make $$$. average donation is 15 cents but how much do they rake in at the overpriced bong stand? There are just too many lame vendors, too many bums looking for free drugs, and too many police. sure, they won't arrest you for smoking up, but who wants to hang out with a gang of cops all day. the crowds are crazy, and swim would rather just puff a bit at home and make some food than get stoned in public and pay out a ton of money for souvenirs and garbage food. he'd rather spend it on more drugs.

[Samadhi]

Swim went, he is a resident of the emerald city.

They should call it meth-fest. It was no fun and never has been for swim. The music is pretty bland and brings to mind nu-metal.

Swim just is not a fan, it seems to impede the struggle with the way people act during the festival... but the stands of glassware are pretty sick, and swim picked up some blank blotter for laying his own sheets.