CANNIFEST 2024 – Humboldt County Throws A Proper Party
Each year on the weekend after Labor Day, the renowned NorCal cannabis community cultivates a colorful, multi-faceted soiree in the mainland marijuana Mecca of Humboldt County, and they call it CANNIFEST. This year’s festive iteration took place September 7-8, hosted at the sprawling, picturesque Halverson Waterfront Park. Per Cannifest’s stated mission and intention, the event shined a light on independent farmers, creative entrepreneurship, community activism, and featured top-shelf musical talent like Lettuce, Oteil & Friends, The Nth Power, among others.
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After several years throwing this party in various locales and ever-evolving lineups, Cannifest 2024 went down rather swimmingly. Sunshine mixed with coastal Humboldt fog filled the space with unique ambiance, festive crowds were treated to great weather with activities spread across two sensational smoked-out days and nights, and the festival created a kaleidoscopic container for meaningful connection, mindful exploration, and conscious celebration of all things ganja.
“Fueled by sunshine, good vibes, and the shared love of the plant, Cannifest is about more than just getting high; it’s about igniting your inner light, embracing inclusivity, and co-creating a future where cannabis empowers personal growth and community well-being.” the festival stated in a pre-event press release.
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The music on offer in 2024 was a top notch assembly of heavy hitters that spanned genre and generation that appeared on two different stages. The menu included the likes of Lettuce, Oteil & Friends featuring Melvin Seals, Steve Kimock, Jason Crosby, Johnny Kimock, Tom Guarna & Lamar Williams Jr., The Dirty Dozen Brass Band, The Nth Power, Junior Toots & The Maytals, Rainbow Girls, Mendo Dope, Magnificent Sanctuary Band, Oh So Heavy Mixtape and a selection of high vibe DJ’s to keep the the flow in full effect.
Naturally, our favorite sets were Lettuce’s smoked out funk on Saturday night, Magnificent Sancutary Band channeling the best of JGB on a glorious Sunday afternoon, and later The Nth Power featuring Shira Elias, which also included a sit-in from Oteil Burbridge. On the smaller stage, we loved the Oh-So-Heavy Mixtape session (backed by Arcata’s own Object Heavy) that delivered hard hip-hop beats with various emcees getting live on the mic, as well as some DJ crews throwing down dope reggae, dub, and beyond. The Saturday night afterparty with members of Lettuce also crushed the scene til the wee hours.
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In addition to the serious selection of dynamic live tunes, there was a plethora of other art forms in full effect over the weekend. Including – but not limited to – Pyrex glassblowing sessions, massage chairs with expert bodyworkers, mobile barber chair & hairstylist, artists painting on canvas, yoga, stiltwalking giant puppets aka The Illuminated Fools, and more.
Maybe most impressive was the annual Eureka Live Art Wall, which saw forty-four graffiti artists getting nice with a myriad of mural renderings, many with progressive political leanings and messages of peace, kindness, and sustainibility, in alignment with the greater Cannifest ethos.
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Of course, the cannabis on display/offer was top notch, and legacy growers were well represented from all over NorCal, with a laser focus on the Emerald Triangle where the event was located. For my taste, I really appreciated the “Cherry AK” flower from Emerald Queen Farms, a family operation local to Humboldt County. There were also Olympic-style “Grow Games”, where participants competed in various races & tasks relevant to the work done on a weed farm. This event was absolute comedy, and added some levity to the affair as well.
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Upful Life was grateful to be invited up to Cannifest to enjoy and explore this fantastic event. Hope to visit again next year!
words: B.Getz