* S E A T T L E * H E M P * F E S T *
The SEATTLE HEMP FEST is
an annual Gathering of the Tribes to celebrate the miraculous properties of Cannabis sativa L. (and
not only its drug properties, though there is plenty of "civil disobedience").
Rock bands perform and speakers harangue the crowd about legalizing hemp, about its
alleged economic potency and potential for undoing environmental degradation. Vendors hawk
Deadhead stickers and patches, ice cream and tofu; alcohol is not permitted. In existence
since 1991, the fest has mushroomed from some 65,000 in 1995 to more than 125,000 people
jamming Myrtle Edwards Park in 2000. It has historically been
a very mellow event, reminiscent of Woodstock. The 125,000 attendees enjoyed a day of
sunshine and civil disobedience this August 20 with no arrests and no injuries or
incidents of violence. Participants are called "Neatniks" in the press for their
scrupulous cleanup of the park after the event. No doubt this has helped smooth relations
with the City and the Seattle Police Department.
In 2000, the Seattle Hempfest took a giant stride forward with
five stages, voter registration booths, great 4-color publicity and signage, and a
"Hemposium" on issues surrounding decriminalization and the legalization of
industrial hemp. At the main stage, flanked by giant pot leaf cutouts and American flags,
bands including Gruntruck,
the Supersonic Soul Pimps, Zen Tricksters, the Cannabis Cup Band, and long-time house
band The Herbivores rocked
the crowd, while speakers included Keith Stroup (founder/Executive Director of NORML), Steve
Gaskin (founder of The Farm), Sandee Burbank, Joanna 
McKee, Krist Novoselic (formerly of Nirvana), and special guest Clay Jenkinson portraying President Thomas Jefferson; the high priests of High Times held forth. A true hippie wedding in front of 100,000
screaming freaks took place on the main stage at 4, and traditional 'burnt
sacrifices' were offered in a ritual commencing promptly at 4:20. With the quantum leap in attendance and program
offerings, Seattle Hempfest takes its place as the nation's
largest hemp-related gathering. Cash donations and CD sales fully
covered the $82,000 cost of producing the 2000 event.
The SuperSonic Soul Pimps
entertain the post-420 crowd.