E xcuse us for being blunt, but a lot of what you know about 420 is probably wrong. It’s neither the police radio code for marijuana usage, nor is it the number of chemical compounds present in cannabis. And, despite what your stoner friends might declare, April 20 (the date when 4/20 is cele- brated each year) is not a national holiday. All that said, 4/20 is still a major occa- sion for cannabis connoisseurs. And with sales of recreational cannabis in Arizona topping $1 billion in the last two years, more locals than ever are partaking in the substance in its various forms, including flower, concentrates, oils, and edibles. As a result, there will be more folks celebrating 4/20 this year. The good news is that they’ll have plenty of places to do so around the Valley. Just ask Adam Pioth, co-founder of Arizona Smoking Team, a social group for local cannabis consumers. “It’s a pretty big day,” Pioth says. “It’s like Super Bowl Sunday for stoners.” Numerous dispensaries, smoke shops, bars, and other businesses in the metro Phoenix area will host events on Thursday, April 20. Even better, several events will happen both before and after the big day. And there’s more to do than just fire up a bong, as activities will range from blunt-rolling contests to a special edition of local hip-hop night The Blunt Club. There will also be festivals, hotel parties, and even yoga sessions. To help you keep track, we’ve put together a rundown of the best 4/20 events happening in the Valley in the coming days. Read on and smoke ‘em if you got ‘em. Arizona Natural Concepts 1039 East Carefree Highway ancdispensary.com Arizona-based cannabis vendors like Yummy Gummy, Tipsy Turtle Edibles, and Achieve Concentrates will offer games and prizes on the patio at Arizona Natural Concepts beginning at 9 a.m. on Thursday, April 20. Acoustic guitarist Bill Dutcher will perform until 11 a.m. and the Moore of That food truck will stop by from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Additional vendors — including Glorious Extracts, Kind Concentrates, Vital Gummies, and DRIP — will appear from 2 to 5 p.m. with live music from singer-songwriter Stephanie Chacon from 3 to 6 p.m. The first 100 customers who spend $100 at either 8 a.m. or 4:20 p.m. will get a free goodie bag. Deals on flower, concentrate, edibles, and other cannabis products will be available inside ANC throughout the day and $420 in store credit will be raffled off at 4:20 p.m. Call 602-224-5999 for details. Buds-A-Palooza 2023 Garfield and Fifth streets budsapalooza.com The largest 4/20 celebration in the Valley can be found at this festival on Friday, April 14, which will encompass a four-block area south of Roosevelt Row. Close to a dozen glass artists will appear, including Josh Porter, Desi B, Erk De Jerk, Brian Jacobson, Shuhbuh, and Reverend Morse. Other highlights include the Arizona Natural Concepts vendor village, a Sneakerhead pop-up, and the Pucks Cannabis Confections munchie mall. Reggae and rock bands like The Expendables, Long Beach Dub Allstars, Ballyhoo!, Bumpin Uglies, and Fayuca will perform throughout the event and you can also catch stand-up sets by comedians like Richard Douglas Jones, August O’Neal, Tara Shakespeare, and Ray Earl. There will also be various bars, screenings of stoner movies, live art sessions, and more. Gates open at 4:20 p.m. Tickets are $20. The Clarendon Hotel 401 West Clarendon Avenue goclarendon.com The Valley’s only cannabis-friendly hotel will host the Blazing Arizona | Cannabis Capitol Cup event on Thursday, April 20. Expect an evening of 4/20 games, DJs, live music, and activations by Arizona brands. An award ceremony highlighting top local cannabis brands in different categories will cap things off and more than 200 budtenders will be in attendance. The event’s hours are from 4 to 11:10 p.m. General admission is $10 via elevationsna- tion.com/events. Call 602-252-7363. Crescent Ballroom 308 North Second Avenue crescentphx.com The long-running hip-hop night The Blunt Club will stage a special 4/20 edition on Thursday, April 20, on the Crescent’s patio. Pickster One, DJ Reflekshin, and Mane One will spin up hip-hop on the record decks while Dumperfoo creates live art. DRIP products will be given away throughout the evening. The beats start dropping at 9 p.m. and admission is free. Cheba Hut Multiple locations chebahut.com To the surprise of no one, given its cannabis- inspired bent, every Cheba Hut in the Valley will host 4/20 celebrations on Thursday, April 20. Each will offer various giveaways and sell “nug” (a.k.a. small) subs with chips and a drink for $4.20. (It’s served on a souvenir Frisbee, because of course it is.) Meanwhile, the festivities at the location in Mesa (1710 West Southern Avenue) and Tempe (960 West University Drive) will also include live music, vendors, and artists, and the Cheba Hut in Chandler (11 West Boston Street) will also stage a joint-rolling contest and a ranch-chugging competition. Hours vary per location. Egyptian Motor Hotel 765 Grand Avenue egyptianmotorhotel.com Online smoke shop The Piperazzi will bring in rapper Kirko Bangz to headline its 4/20 Festival and Hotel Takeover on Thursday, April 20. Games, raffles, and vendors are also planned. The festivities run from 3 p.m. to 2 a.m. General admission is $35 and VIP tickets are $100 and include a swag bag with a grinder, 2 grams of premium cannabis, and other goodies. Both options can be purchased at thepiperazzi.com/. >> p17
