2021 National Cannabis Festival, photo by Doug Van Sant
From a press release:
“Organizers of the National Cannabis Festival today announced Maydan’s Darnell Thomas, Kevin Tien of Moon Rabbit and the fast-casual eatery Hot Lola’s, Maketto’s Erik Bruner-Yang, Disco Mary’s Maria Bastasch, Dave Chappelle’s chef and owner of The High-End Affair Nikki Steward, and Equinox as headliners in the new culinary pavilion at the sixth annual National Cannabis Festival. The festival returns to Washington’s RFK Campus on Saturday, April 23.
The culinary pavilion is an exciting new highlight of the East Coast’s largest ticketed cannabis gathering, which also features musical performances from Wiz Khalifa Lettuce, and Ghostface Killah, as well as five pavilions on all things cannabis-related, from wellness to agriculture and education. Intended to spotlight the natural intersections between foodie culture and the rise of adult-use cannabis culture, the new pavilion is a perfect complement to the Munchies Zone, where festival-goers can find over 75 of the region’s most popular food trucks and crowd-favorite food vendors, including women-owned and POC-owned businesses such as The Tender Rib, Pearl and da Girls, Peruvian Brothers, Jerk at Nite, DC Taco, Reba’s Funnel Cakes and more. (Note: No THC infused foods are permitted to be sold or sampled at NCF.)
The new culinary pavilion features a variety of activations, including:
Panel discussions:
“The Future of Beverage and Cannabis” with DC Brau’s Jeff Hancock, Disco Mary’s Maria Bastasch, Mor-Hemp & Co’s Maurice Morton and more.
“The Future of Cannabis in DC Hospitality” with Maydan’s Darnell Thomas, Moon Rabbit’s Kevin Tien, Disco Mary’s Christian Irabien and more.
“Home Cooking with Cannabis” with Pink Fox
Eating contests:
Pizza eating contest with DC Slices
Hot Dog eating contest with The Hotdog Hideout
Ice Cream eating contest with Ben and Jerry’s
Cooking demos:
Pink Fox on stoner stacks at home
Disco Mary on apothecary drinks
Food menu highlights from several culinary partners for this year’s pavilion include Equinox’s truffle mac and cheese and a new take on Tien’s already-notorious Hot Lola’s “Sichuan X Nashville” hot chicken sandwich. Bruner-Yang and Tien will debut a pop-up concept created just for the festival, “Chefs Stopping AAPI Hate Night Market.”
About the National Cannabis Festival
The National Cannabis Festival celebrates progress on cannabis legalization in Washington, DC and across the nation. This year’s festival features performances by Wiz Khalifa, Lettuce, Ghostface Killah, Backyard Band, DuPont Brass, Shamans of Sound, Cramer, DJ Farrah Flosscett, and more on April 23 at RFK Festival Grounds. This year, the festival, which also calls for an end to the criminalization of marijuana and the war on drugs, is expanding to a full weekend of cannabis-related conversations and events. On Friday, April 22, the Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center will play host to the National Cannabis Policy Summit, where lawmakers and advocates from across the United States convene to discuss the most pressing cannabis policy issues. On Sunday April 24, festivities wrap up at Echostage, as homegrowers from across the Mid-Atlantic present their THC and hemp flower and vie for the highest honors at the National Cannabis Championship, sponsored by Gentleman Toker and featuring performances by Slick Rick and Footwerk.
Tickets, including single-day and two-day admission, plus VIP memberships are available now. For tickets and all additional information, visit www.nationalcannabisfestival.com.”