All that said, 4/20 is still a major occasion for cannabis connoisseurs. And with sales of recreational cannabis in Arizona topping $1 billion in the last two years, more locals than ever are partaking in the substance in its various forms, including flower, concentrates, oils, and edibles.
As a result, there will be more folks celebrating 4/20 this year. The good news is that they’ll have plenty of places to do so around the Valley.
Just ask Adam Pioth, co-founder of Arizona Smoking Team, a social group for local cannabis consumers.
“It’s a pretty big day,” Pioth says. “It’s like Super Bowl Sunday for stoners.”
Numerous dispensaries, smoke shops, bars, and other businesses in the metro Phoenix area will host events on Thursday, April 20. Even better, several events will happen both before and after the big day. And there’s more to do than just fire up a bong, as activities will range from blunt-rolling contests to a special edition of local hip-hop night The Blunt Club. There will also be festivals, hotel parties, and even yoga sessions.
To help you keep track, we've put together a rundown of the best 4/20 events happening in the Valley in the coming days. Read on and smoke 'em if you got 'em.
Arizona Natural Concepts
1039 East Carefree Highwayancdispensary.comArizona-based cannabis vendors like Yummy Gummy, Tipsy Turtle Edibles, and Achieve Concentrates will offer games and prizes on the patio at Arizona Natural Concepts beginning at 9 a.m. on Thursday, April 20. Acoustic guitarist Bill Dutcher will perform until 11 a.m. and the Moore of That food truck will stop by from 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Additional vendors — including Glorious Extracts, Kind Concentrates, Vital Gummies, and DRIP — will appear from 2 to 5 p.m. with live music from singer-songwriter Stephanie Chacon from 3 to 6 p.m. The first 100 customers who spend $100 at either 8 a.m. or 4:20 p.m. will get a free goodie bag. Deals on flower, concentrate, edibles, and other cannabis products will be available inside ANC throughout the day and $420 in store credit will be raffled off at 4:20 p.m. Call 602-224-5999 for details.
Buds-A-Palooza 2023
Garfield and Fifth streetsbudsapalooza.comThe largest 4/20 celebration in the Valley can be found at this festival on Friday, April 14, which will encompass a four-block area south of Roosevelt Row. Close to a dozen glass artists will appear, including Josh Porter, Desi B, Erk De Jerk, Brian Jacobson, Shuhbuh, and Reverend Morse. Other highlights include the Arizona Natural Concepts vendor village, a Sneakerhead pop-up, and the Pucks Cannabis Confections munchie mall. Reggae and rock bands like The Expendables, Long Beach Dub Allstars, Ballyhoo!, Bumpin Uglies, and Fayuca will perform throughout the event and you can also catch stand-up sets by comedians like Richard Douglas Jones, August O'Neal, Tara Shakespeare, and Ray Earl. There will also be various bars, screenings of stoner movies, live art sessions, and more. Gates open at 4:20 p.m. Tickets are $20.
The Clarendon Hotel
401 West Clarendon Avenuegoclarendon.comThe Valley’s only cannabis-friendly hotel will host the Blazing Arizona | Cannabis Capitol Cup event on Thursday, April 20. Expect an evening of 4/20 games, DJs, live music, and activations by Arizona brands. An award ceremony highlighting top local cannabis brands in different categories will cap things off and more than 200 budtenders will be in attendance. The event’s hours are from 4 to 11:10 p.m. General admission is $10 via elevationsnation.com/events. Call 602-252-7363.
Crescent Ballroom
308 North Second Avenuecrescentphx.comThe long-running hip-hop night The Blunt Club will stage a special 4/20 edition on Thursday, April 20, on the Crescent’s patio. Pickster One, DJ Reflekshin, and Mane One will spin up hip-hop on the record decks while Dumperfoo creates live art. DRIP products will be given away throughout the evening. The beats start dropping at 9 p.m. and admission is free.
Cheba Hut
Multiple locationschebahut.comTo the surprise of no one, given its cannabis-inspired bent, every Cheba Hut in the Valley will host 4/20 celebrations on Thursday, April 20. Each will offer various giveaways and sell "nug" (a.k.a. small) subs with chips and a drink for $4.20. (It’s served on a souvenir Frisbee, because of course it is.) Meanwhile, the festivities at the location in Mesa (1710 West Southern Avenue) and Tempe (960 West University Drive) will also include live music, vendors, and artists, and the Cheba Hut in Chandler (11 West Boston Street) will also stage a joint-rolling contest and a ranch-chugging competition. Hours vary per location.
Egyptian Motor Hotel
765 Grand Avenueegyptianmotorhotel.comOnline smoke shop The Piperazzi will bring in rapper Kirko Bangz to headline its 4/20 Festival and Hotel Takeover on Thursday, April 20. Games, raffles, and vendors are also planned. The festivities run from 3 p.m. to 2 a.m. General admission is $35 and VIP tickets are $100 and include a swag bag with a grinder, 2 grams of premium cannabis, and other goodies. Both options can be purchased at thepiperazzi.com/events.
420 Golf Tournament at Arizona Golf Resort
425 South Power Road, MesaThe PGA Tour might forbid its competitors from using cannabis, but the organizers of this golf tournament on Thursday, April 20, certainly won’t. Participants and attendees can consume cannabis throughout the course during the event, which will put the “Fore!” in 4/20. Vendors, a dab bar, and goodie bags will also be available. The competition tees off at 3 p.m. and live music will start at 5 p.m. in the banquet hall. General admission is $10, VIP tickets are $60 to $100, and golf packages are $200 to $300. See allevents.in/mesa/420-golf-tournament for more info. 
HQ Vape & Smoke
219 West University Drive, Tempe420hq.comStop by HQ Vape & Smoke on Thursday, April 20, and score free food from Cheba Hut, partake in various 4/20 deals, or participate in the “HQ Munchie Mission” scavenger hunt, which will feature glassware and smoking accessories as prizes. From noon to 6 p.m., patrons can also spin a prize wheel and score items from Puffco, Raw, and Zig-Zag. Hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. The shop will also have specials available throughout the month, including sales on all glassware and up to 60 percent off select pieces from April 15 to 21 and all vaping devices, accessories, and juices on sale from April 22 to 30. Call 480-966-6093.
Mic Drop Mania
51 East Boston Street, Chandler micdropmania.comLamar Mitchell Jr. and other homegrown stand-up comics will channel their inner Cheech and Chong at the Up N' Jokes comedy show on Thursday, April 20. They’ll dispense plenty of weed-related wisecracks about stoners, the munchies, and similar subjects. Doors open at 7 p.m. and there’s a $10 cover.
Marquee Theatre
730 North Mill Avenue, Tempemarqueetheatreaz.comHorrorcore/hip-hop duo Twiztid are die-hard cannabis fans, as evidenced by the fact their merch frequently incorporates marijuana imagery and the title of their 2021 EP Electric Lettuce was inspired by a slang term for reefer. Their annual 4/20 show is also a big deal for their fans. This year, Twiztid will stage the gig at Tempe’s Marquee Theatre on Thursday, April 20, as part of their Certified Psychos tour. Blaze, ABK, Boondox, AMB, and Cody Manson will open. Doors are at 6 p.m. Tickets are $40 for general admission and $60 to $70 for balcony seating.
Mint Cannabis
Multiple locations mintdeals.comThe 4/20 festivities at Mint won’t be limited to a single day, as their five Valley locations will celebrate the occasion over the next week or so. They’ll give away $100,000 in cannabis products and other prizes from in-demand vendors at random each day to patrons who are 21 or older through Thursday, April 20. There will also be dozens of “buy one, get one” deals on favorite brands, free non-medicated munchies, sets by local DJs, and raffles occurring hourly from open until close daily. And if you get a craving for cannabis in the middle of the night, Mint’s flagship location in Tempe (5210 South Priest Drive) will also operate around the clock during an 11-day stretch from 7 a.m. on Thursday, April 13, until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, April 23. Call 480-749-6468 for more info.
Paraphernalia Boutique
4234 West Dunlap Avenueinstagram.com/pbaz420Paraphernalia Boutique’s annual 4/20 celebration on Friday, April 21, will extend into its parking lot and feature a variety of activities. Inside the store, there will be sales, giveaways, doorbuster deals, and a $5 “mega raffle” with more than $2,500 in prizes. Outside, you can experience live music, glass-blowing demonstrations, a tie-dye booth, and more. Hours are 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Call 623-939-4787 for full details.
B-Real of Cypress Hill will headline the Desert Blaze Taco and Tequila Music Fest on Saturday, April 15.
Eitan Miskevich
Phoenix Events Complex
2209 North 99th Avenue Cypress Hill's B-Real will headline the Desert Blaze Tacos and Tequila Music Festival on Saturday, April 15, at the complex. Other hip-hop artists scheduled to perform include DJ Quik, MC Eiht, Suga Free, Mr. Capone-E, Kurupt, Spice 1, and many more. The event will also feature carnival rides and games, a car and bike show, taco trucks, food and drink vendors, and a Selena tribute and lookalike contest. The annual Arizona Cannabis Awards Music Festival will also take place within the festival grounds and will highlight local dispensary products, smoke shops, and more. Gates open at noon. Mint Cannabis is offering “buy one, get one” deals on general admission tickets for $50 and VIP tickets for $100. Visit mintdeals.com/blog/desert-blaze-2023. QuartHaus
201 South Washington Street, Chandlerquarthaus.comCannabis dispensary chain Trulieve will host a Hip-Hop Yoga session from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday, April 16. Samples of Muse concentrates and cartridges, Loveli edibles, and Stiiizy products will be given away to attendees. Call 480-439-2739.
Rick Bronson’s House of Comedy
5350 East High Streetaz.houseofcomedy.netThe laughter will be loud and uproarious at the Mint Cannabis 420 Comedy Tour on Wednesday, April 19, thanks to either the comedians performing onstage or the product samples being given away by vendors. The lineup will include sets by Anwar Newton, Reece Muniz, Phil Kors, Zachary Pickett, Daniel Bridge-Gadd, and Doug Brown. Reef The Comic will host. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. General admission is $20 and VIP tickets (which include a swag bag and priority seating) are $40. There's also a two-item minimum. Call 480-420-3553.
Sky High Smoke Shop
Multiple locationsshopskyhigh.com Each Sky High Smoke Shop in the Valley will host its 420 Fest on Thursday, April 20, with various discounts available at different times throughout the day. To wit: you can score 50 percent off almost everything (with the exception of tobacco and other selected items) from 8 a.m. to 4:20 p.m. The stores will also offer a 35 percent discount on most items (again, excluding tobacco and certain other products) from 4:20 p.m. to midnight. Select vaporizers and kratom products will also be 25 percent off from open until close. Raffle drawings will also take place throughout the day for a variety of items, including a Stündenglass gravity bong, a Blazer Big Shot butane torch, and a Volcano Digital vaporizer. Tickets are $5 each or three for $12. Closing times vary per location.
Sol Flower Dispensaries
Multiple Valley locationslivewithsol.comEach of Sol’s five dispensaries in the Valley will offer product promos, hourly doorbusters, and “buy one, get one” specials on Thursday, April 20, as well as a trivia contest with the chance to win free weed for a year (restrictions apply and you must be 21 or over to enter while supplies last). Call 480-420-3300 for more information. Sol will also feature daily specials throughout the month of April with a portion of the proceeds benefiting local LGBTQ nonprofit one-n-ten. Visit livewithsol.com/dope-deals for details and deals.
Stir Crazy Comedy Club
6751 North Sunset Boulevard, Suite E-206, Glendalestircrazycomedyclub.comExpect plenty of cannabis-inspired comedy during Stir Crazy’s 420 Show on Thursday, April 20, which will include sets by local stand-up comics Sean McCarthy, Durrell Johnson, Cierra Miranda, Bubba McComb, Adam Dominguez, and Rob Maebe. The laughs start at 7 p.m. and tickets are $15. Call 623-565-8667.
