The crowd at Denver's Civic Center lights up on April 20, 2015. (Joe Amon, Denver Post file)

No plans to nix Denver 420 Rally despite looming weekend snowstorm

Colorado’s largest pot party will blaze on Saturday despite a storm that’s threatening Denver with up to 14 inches of snow.


UPDATE: Event organizers said Saturday morning the festival is postponed.


Organizers of Denver’s Annual 420 Rally in Civic Center Park expect as many as 80,000 people to brave the weather for the event, which features 250 vendors as well as headlining performances by Wiz Khalifa and Lil Wayne.

“There’s no reason to stop except for a natural disaster,” said Miguel Lopez, the event’s organizer. “Maybe all the people publicly consuming marijuana will keep us warm.”

The rally, which kicks off at 10 a.m. and lasts 12 hours, will block traffic on several downtown streets. Bannock Street from Colfax Avenue to 13th Street and 14th Avenue from Broadway to Cherokee Street will be closed.

The rally has teamed up with Uber to provide rides to and from the event. The popular transportation app will give a $20-discount for first-time users.

“As part of our mission to build a safer and more inclusive community, we’re encouraging attendees to ride responsibly to the 420 Rally, and we’re incredibly grateful Uber stepped up to partner with us in this initiative,” Lopez said in a news release.

The Colorado Department of Transportation will be at the event to drive that message home with a campaign about the effects, laws and penalties of driving while high. CDOT will roll out a “Slow-Speed Chase” involving a patrol car and a vehicle decked out in messages about the consequences of driving under the influence.

“This is our target audience,” said Sam Cole, a CDOT spokesperson. “It’s going to be done in a clever, eye-catching way to draw the attention of users at the rally — if they can see through their umbrellas.”

The 420 Rally is sponsored by cannabis social networking company MassRoots, the Colorado Marijuana Company, Denver marijuana company Sweet Leaf and Amber Ice, Wiz Khalifa’s line of hash concentrate.

Katy Canada: 303-954-1043, kcanada@denverpost.com or @KatySusanna

This story was first published on DenverPost.com