Peace, Love, and Vapor-lock the 2008 Seattle Hempfest*

I’d like to tell you about the most amazing party I have ever been to!
This party was so amazing it really changed the way I see things and I hope the feeling I took away stays with me forever. The Seattle hemp fest has been going on for 19 years and it was so huge this year it may have to move.

I’d like to talk first about the volunteers that run Hempfest. The do not get paid or receive any benefit other than some food and water if there lucky. Free spirits that live off the land and are absolutely the nicest people I have ever met. This thing is a nightmare and the city doesn’t make it easy so there are several people that run the 600 vendors into staging each day and try and keep the fire lanes clear so the city doesn’t shut the whole thing down.

Earl the Pearl was a cat that was so helpful to us I cannot even begen to thank him enough. We did however try everytime we saw him and while on duty these guys don’t toke so this cat who didn’t look like he could really afford to turn down dank buds, did over and over until the event was done and his job was completed successfully.

Dioxide I hope will chime in and tell you about some of the other helpful people like Little Doc, Doc, Stephanie and others.

I saw some asshats scream and yell at Earl when the city made us re-que the line over a fire lane hassle and this cats sleeping in the fucking park to make this event happen so I wanted to make sure everyone understand this intire event is put on Free and by volunteers!

After a 7 hour tri in a 2 state traffic jam that lasted 200 miles do to a brush fire we finally got the Dank Gear tent set up. At first I wasn’t impressed with the location but as we would later learn it was the only shaded area on the intire parkway so by days end we had a posse of brothers and sisters that were parting unrelated to us. They didn’t bother us or do anything but relax, smoke blunts and chill on the KICK ASS music that was provided for FREE. More on that later..
It was a glorious morning and I smoked a few joints of Apollo-13 with the crew to make sure they had lots of Cannabis energy to keep them going. Tincture all around the colors became beautiful. A pie merchant shows of vibrant colors and baths in the warm morning sun.

This booth amzing was a company called many colors :

My friends that are riding on the Apollo buzz seem to bee very happy and busy as bees getting it all set up.

There was at least a million bongs on site and some were really cool looking. One shiity thing about Working Hempfest is no time to actually buy anything. I ended up with one badass kief box and a few hot dogs for my weekend at fest but some things can’t be bought at any price and I wouldn’t trade my time at this party for anything.
I got to crash here but I wanted to get this thread started,
If you have never seen the after math of a 420 joint toss, well you just ain't completed your journey yet.

I have no idea how many people were here I will find out but it was 2 miles of this and that about 200-300,000 hard core stoners living free and showing a unity that I have never seen. I missed this joint toss by a few minutes but you will see one later and imagine 2 miles of people firing up in unison. It gives me chills still!!!

RIU should have their own hempfest/weed party thingy

Los Marijuanos provided some pounding beats as the first 420 rolled around. The smoke traveled across the crowd and it was so cool to see the results of so much work across the years to get to this point.

Notice the Bong

Heading down to the main stage Jack was busy bitching and doing business.
Off for coffee and more editing

The vibe here was so cool and special I swear the hippys got some of there Peace and Love dust on me. I feel calm and less wound up.

I met really cool people everywhere and I tried to capture some random shots so you can get the feel of the place.

Glass was everywhere and while I think Dankgears custom artist Herbasmoke is the best I ever worked with you see amazing art everywhere.

Ed was railing for legalization while just 6 hours earlier he was doing the bad neighbor nod on our hotel couch..
As we waited in the que line God gave us his own light show.
I was trapped outside the gate without my zoom lens but I managed to capture the end of the day nicely.
Day 2 coming up!

I told you that something happened while I was at Hempfest. I can’t explain it but I won’t ever be the same. I saw first hand in thousands of peoples eyes and hearts that Cannabis is really a healing plant and it really can save the world as Jack told us so many years ago.

This is Mike and while I don’t know his life story I know he was a drunk and spent 16 years in and out of prisons and jails until he found Cannabis, he has been clean 7 years and you can see the goodness in his soul through his worn but kind eyes.

Mike smokes pot rides his bike and works out. He took the time each time he saw me to ride over and ask how things were going. He hurts no one and I am proud to call him a friend now, Good luck Buddy it was an honor to hang with you.

The joint toss at 420 was one of the coolest things I ever experienced! I was not able to capture flying joints maybe Jill did but they send about 8 people into the crowd with huge sacks of joints and at 420 they go off like Chinese Cannabis mortors showering the crowd it is fucking amazing!!
Happy Cheif was nice enough to roll a jar of bombers for me from TGA buds.
The people I tossed em to seemed really high!

JOINT TOSS!!

Inhale

EXHALE!!

Next up we meet the Speakers that send the message

Great Pics.

damn that looks like a hella of a good time.i have to go to something like that, never been to any festival like that.

you guys/gals know where i can find some info on up coming events like these?

See you there. August 15th and 16th 2009. Same place, same time.

2011 is our 20th aniversary. If you miss that one you are going to kick yourself, I guarantee it.

Yo sub, did you say you were at the dank gear booth? I was at hempfest this year and i definitely remember stopping by there...you guys had some sick shit. Hempfest is the best weekend of the year

I understand that they in practice don't, but how is it that the police don't crash hempfest and write a couple mil in tickets?

i volunteered the last 3 years, and this was the first year i missed, man your pics totally captured how fucking fun it is to just be there and chill with everybody

It is an interesting paradigm but the police choose to be there to do their primary job, to keep the attendees safe. If someone that had been smoking pot would try to assult someone, they would be arrested; not for possession but for assault. Same if the person was sober, drunk or had been inhaling Scotchguard. The attitude is, if the peace is being kept, they are being successful.

The Seattle and Port Police embody the ideal of protect an serve. I know through many years of working on this, many of the fine people that serve in the COS and POS police departments. I am proud to call some of these people friends. The recruting done by these institutions is the finest I have witnessed. 99 percent of these people serve with honor and distinction. They care about their communities and the people in them. I have grown to respect these institutions very much.

On the flip side, the cops that view all of a demographic because of the bad behaviors of a few have a similar skewed view. Most cops are great people but those humans that are employed withing the police that view us with prejudice translate the actions of a few to all. Remember, these things go both ways. A few people that happen to be cops are assholes. That does not make it so for all.

We at Seattle Hempfest have a zero tolorance approach to those who, with prejudice, show disrespect to our cops. The police go out of our way to treat us with respect and dignity. We demand that that respect be shown to our boys in blue.

This is why we enjoy a great relationship with the police and they with us. Don't hate the cops because of the actions of some. Hate the laws that they sometimes have to enforce. We love our cops!

thanks for answering my question!

That's a pretty sweet deal you guys have!

+rep

GordonFreeman said:

RIU should have their own hempfest/weed party thingy

Click to expand...

I wonder how that would work out, exactly, what with the new rules and all.

wow!! awesome pics man!!
i wanna go next year for sure!
but im in FL so it would be a hell of a trip

Yeah man that sounds pretty sweet. Closest ive got to sumthin that big was the 420 gathering in new mexico last year, lots of shit like that, great times.

Nothing like living only 6 hours away in the same state. Be jealous. Hempfest is amazing..I'll be ther next year for sure.