SAN FRANCISCO – Organizers of the annual 4/20 event at Hippie Hill in Golden Gate Park announced that the 2024 celebration of all things cannabis has been canceled.
In a statement posted on their website Monday, organizers said “we have been unable to secure enough financial sponsorship to get everything required for a safe, clean, city & state compliant event. We will be back next year!”
The group cited multiple reasons for the cancellation including city budget cutbacks, the current climate of the cannabis industry and the economy.
In a separate statement, the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department voiced similar reasons for the cancelation, saying it was due to “economic challenges within the cannabis industry, making sponsorships hard to secure, and City budget cuts impacting Rec and Park’s ability to cover staffing for the event.”
Every April 20, tens of thousands of marijuana enthusiasts have descended on Hippie Hill and Robin Williams Meadow for the celebration, which culminates with a synchronized smoke at 4:20 p.m. While the event was canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the celebration returned in 2022 with on-site cannabis sales and limiting attendance to people 21 and older.
Park officials and organizers stressed that there will be no cannabis booths or live music and urged revelers to mark 4/20 “in a place that’s special and local to them.”
“We understand the disappointment and hope to make it up with a great event next year,” said event organizer Alex Aquino. “Wherever you go, be safe and be respectful of whatever spaces you occupy.”
SF Rec and Park said volleyball and kickball tournaments will take place at the meadow on April 20.
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