After three potential permit-seekers attempted in recent months to organize a pro-marijuana 4/20 event Monday in Denver’s Civic Center Park, any potential gathering will occur without a permit.
On Friday, Denver Parks and Recreation spokesman Jeff Green told The Denver Post that officials intended to issue a public-assembly permit to Miguel Lopez. He was the main organizer for the 4/20 festival that drew an estimated 125,000 people to Civic Center on Saturday and Sunday.
Parks officials anticipated some crowds in Civic Center Monday afternoon for the 4:20 p.m. smoke-out that normally occurs. But Lopez says he had difficulty lining up roughly $12,000 needed for city-required items that included keeping and servicing the festival’s portable toilets in the park, renting fences and providing for trash collection.
Sounding frustrated Monday, he pointed blame at Parks and Rec for its requirements and for not allowing his two-day festival to expand to three days this year because of a new events moratorium.
Lopez has reverted back to his original plan, with state permit in hand, to have a pro-marijuana rally across the street on the park between Broadway and Lincoln Street, near the State Capitol.
Green wrote in an e-mail Monday: “Denver Parks and Recreation will arrange for port-o-lets to remain on site through this afternoon given the likelihood of higher than average park users this afternoon.” As of 2 p.m., though, Lopez’s event in the small park across Broadway was drawing hundreds of people, while Civic Center Park was sparsely populated.
