With Future of Denver 420 Fest in the Air, Stoners Can’t Help but Bring Up Old Traditions

With no countdown to 4:20 p.m. and construction fencing pushing most of the turnout to a corner of Civic Center Park, Denver’s main 4/20 festivity wasn’t quite what it used to be on Monday, April 20.

“Where are the people?” said Denver resident named Kelly, adding Monday marked her first return to a 4/20 celebration in ten years. “They could have done some music prior to the main event. What are you supposed to do out here? I can’t even really chill out here. There’s nothing going on. And now you have to pay? That’s different.”

The Mile High 420 Festival had no music acts leading up to 4:20 p.m. this year, but Saturday Night Live comedian Kam Patterson performed a brief stand-up set. During the ninety minutes before 4:20 p.m., the crowd was spread out, dozens were waiting in lines for drinks and food, and people could be heard complaining about the lackluster turnout as most of Civic Center Park was blocked off.

“There used to be more vendors,” Shane, a Denver resident, told Westword. “Last year was much better. It was more open and everything. You had more to do, and the event was more spread out.”

The 4/20 gathering at Civic Center Park began as a rebellious smoke-out, led by activist Ken Gorman. (Gorman was murdered in 2007 and his murder remains unsolved.) The event was taken over by Gorman’s followers and snowballed into the Denver 420 Rally in the 2010s, with organizers adding a free concert, food and vendors. A dispensary chain took over the event in 2018, however, rebranding it the Mile High 420 Festival and removing most of the event’s activism.

Since November, parts of Civic Center Park have been closed off for major renovations through next summer. According to Denver Parks & Recreation spokesperson Yolanda Quesada, the status of next year’s Mile High 420 Festival at Civic Center Park “has not yet been decided.” Other festivals that have been displaced by the construction include Outside Days (formerly the Outside Festival), Denver PrideFest and Cinco de Mayo.

With half the park shut down, the 420 fest’s layout forced most of the food trucks into a small, fenced-off pocket along Bannock Street, which was packed most of the afternoon. Festival-goer Laura, who wore a costume made of faux leaves and an American flag with a peace sign, stood under the shade of the Denver City and County Building. She’s been to five Denver 420 gatherings at Civic Center Park over the years, and considers them “great and really wonderful.”

Laura didn’t mind paying for a ticket in 2025, because the crowd “was really a lot smaller.”

“This year, it’s really busier,” she said from a busy shaded area. “I usually come when my family or friends are in town, because it’s the 420 fest. You can walk around and smoke weed, and it’s the Denver thing.”

The first act for the 420 fest’s concert was Juicy J. After asking people for the best strip clubs (people mostly offered up “PTs” and “Diamond Cabaret”), he played “Bandz a Make Her Dance,” and the song ended exactly at 4:20 p.m. The DJ booth’s display turned green at the exact second, but Juicy J had already blown past the opportunity for a countdown. He then started reminding the crowd he was in Three 6 Mafia as people in the audience were yelling, “Happy 4/20!”

Although the cloud has been bigger before, the haze over Civic Center could still be seen from nearby office buildings.

Mike Jones, Paul Wall, That Mexican OT and Trap Dickey performed after Juicy J at the show, which stretched after 8 p.m., leading many concert-goers to show up later than the usual high point at 4:20 p.m.

The 2026 festival was a far cry from the 2010s, when the 420 event at Civic Center was locally organized, more connected to activism and much less buttoned-up. Alcohol areas, a 21-and-up age requirement and paid admission have all been added since a dispensary chain began overseeing the festival.

Although cannabis use is still very much tolerated at the 420 fest and the police haven’t cited someone on festival grounds for almost five years now, there will always be people comparing today’s 4/20 to the past.

“Last time I came here, a dude got shot in the ass. That’s not why I stopped coming, but it just used to be a lot wilder,” said former Denver resident Michael, who attended more than a decade ago before moving to Ohio. “Now, I’m not even sure when the show is supposed to start. There should be some music or something before the main event. You’ve just got everybody standing around.”

But for many out-of-state visitors, the event still holds magic. Texas resident Taz visited Civic Center for the first time on April 20, and he didn’t mind having to pay $30 for what he sees as a stacked musical lineup.

“You get to see some quality artists and smoke dope,” he explained. “It’s pretty cool coming from Texas. They don’t let you smoke out in public in Texas, so [it’s great] to have a festival here, especially right between City Hall and the Capitol.”