"Feel like a parent whose kid has grown up": Vancouver 4/20 reins change hands for Art Gallery market (PHOTOS)
Thousands of people came out to the Vancouver Art Gallery for the first large-scale 4/20 market since COVID-19 gathering restrictions were lifted.
The event was organized by a different group of people this year after Dana Larson and Cannabis Culture said they didn’t have enough time to put on their usual Sunset Beach extravaganza by the time public health measures relaxed.
Larsen said attending the Art Gallery market was a bittersweet moment for him — because the Vancouver movement he’s been involved in for decades is now going strong of its own accord.
“Being at 4/20 today, I feel like a parent whose kid has grown up and become independent,” Larsen tweeted. “A mix of pride and melancholy, realizing you don’t need to take care of them and clean up after them anymore.”
He added that another Sunset Beach festival next year is still a possibility, and in the meantime, he hopes large-scale markets celebrating the high holiday continue to grow.
The Art Gallery is already packed and it’s only 2pm. It’s so great to see the 420 spirit continuing in Vancouver.
I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see 420 return to Sunset Beach next year. pic.twitter.com/CkLbm4BjVm
— Dana Larsen (@DanaLarsen) April 20, 2022
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The Art Gallery event went ahead without a permit this year, although organizers did apply for one, they said on their website. The people behind the market collected donations and solicited sponsors to help pay for fence rentals, portable toilets, and other items needed for a smooth event.
DJs spun music and many vendors set up tents selling dried cannabis, edibles, and psychedelic mushrooms. Many of the tents had signs advising customers to show ID proving they’re 19 or older.
The City of Vancouver erected a fence around the residential schools memorial and asked attendees to respect the site by not tampering with it.
Daily Hive Vancouver
Daily Hive Vancouver
We would like to remind those attending today’s 420 event outside Vancouver Art Gallery to take care and respect the Residential Schools memorial. The site continues to be a site for acknowledgement, healing and remembrance related to the legacy and impact of residential schools. pic.twitter.com/V94lOCaPNP
— City of Vancouver (@CityofVancouver) April 20, 2022
By late afternoon the art gallery square became packed with people browsing products. Here’s what the scene looked like:
Vancouver’s main 4/20 gathering moved away from Sunset Beach to the Art Gallery this year under new organizers pic.twitter.com/016b05Jahb
— Megan Devlin (@MegDevlinn) April 20, 2022
Lots of things for sale: dried cannabis, edibles, and magic mushrooms pic.twitter.com/mTWg0euvgV
— Megan Devlin (@MegDevlinn) April 20, 2022
420 in vancouver seems pretty good this year #420day #Vancouver #420life pic.twitter.com/c44Bf9K9JV
— Melting.crypto (@MeltingTv) April 20, 2022