Seattle Hempfest

Seattle Hempfest
Seattle city council member Nick Licata speaking at the 2009 Seattle Hempfest
GenrePolitical
FrequencyAnnually
Location(s)Myrtle Edwards Park, Seattle, Washington, U.S.
Years active32
InauguratedAugust 1, 1991 (1991-08-01)
Previous event10 October 2020 (2020-10-10) – 11 October 2020 (2020-10-11)
Attendance100,000
Budget$1,000,000
Organised bySeattle Events, a Non-Profit Corporation
MemberHempfest Central
Seattle Peace Heathens Community Action Group
Websitewww.hempfest.org

Seattle Hempfest is an annual event in the city of Seattle, Washington (and the world's largest[1] annual gathering) advocating the legalization of cannabis.[2] Vivian McPeak serves as the organization's executive director. Founded in 1991 as the Washington Hemp Expo,[3][4] a self-described "humble gathering of stoners" attended by only 500 people,[4] and renamed the following year as Hempfest,[3] it has grown into a three-day annual political rally, concert, and arts and crafts fair[5] with attendance typically over 100,000. Speakers have included Seattle city council member Nick Licata,[4] actor/activist Woody Harrelson (2004),[4] travel writer and TV host Rick Steves (2007), (2010),[4][6] 2012 Green Party speaker Jill Stein, Dallas Cowboys center Mark Stepnoski (2003),[4][7] and former chief of the Seattle Police Department Norm Stamper (2006).[3] Hempfest has also in recent years attracted such well-known performers as Fishbone (2002),[8] The Kottonmouth Kings (2004),[9] Rehab (2006),[10] and Pato Banton (2007)[11] to its five stages[12] spread throughout Myrtle Edwards Park and Elliott Bay Park, on Seattle's waterfront.[12][13]

  1. ^ According to the 2007 Seattle Hempfest program, p. 22, "As far as we can tell, it is [the biggest pot rally anywhere], and it dwarfs its closest counterpart."
  2. ^ According to the 2007 Seattle Hempfest program, p. 3, they advocate "the decriminalization of marijuana for responsible adults, legal access to medical marijuana…, and legal domestic hemp production."
  3. ^ a b c McNerthney 2007
  4. ^ a b c d e f "Seattle Hempfest History: 1991-present", Seattle Hempfest. Accessed 23 August 2007.
  5. ^ 2007 Seattle Hempfest program, p. 22.
  6. ^ 2007 Seattle Hempfest program, p. 6. An essay by Steves appears on p.16–17 of the 2007 program.
  7. ^ Hempfest 2003 achieves Pot Peace!, on official Seattle Hempfest site. Accessed online 24 August 2007.
  8. ^ Mike Cust, Seattle Hempfest rocks hard!, Cannabis Culture, February 24, 2003. Accessed online 24 August 2007.
  9. ^ Philip Dawdy, 2004 Hempfest Highlights, Seattle Weekly, August 18, 2004. Accessed online 24 August 2007.
  10. ^ Seattle Hempfest History on Hempfest official site. Accessed online 24 August 2007.
  11. ^ Monica Guzman, News update: Former police chief Stamper backs out of Hempfest, August 15, 2007 on the official blog of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Accessed online 24 August 2007.
  12. ^ a b Marijuana policy reform is emphasis at Hempfest, Seattle Times, August 17, 2006. Accessed online 24 August 2007.
  13. ^ Vendor Policies, on official Seattle Hempfest site. Accessed online 24 August 2007.