Every Labor Day, the Michigan town of Royal Oak brings art, music, and food together for Soaring Eagle Arts, Beats, & Eats Festival. This will be the first year that the four-day event also features a designated cannabis zone where people can pick up and light up.
Metro-Detroit retailer House of Dank has sponsored the event since 2021 and looks forward to being the dispensary providing the goods this year. Consumption will be confined to the lounge area strategically placed away from family and child-oriented spaces of the festival.
RELATED: Federal marijuana legalization: how far away is it?
The fully-enclosed and ventilated House of Dank Lounge will only be open to attendees 21 and older. Once inside, guests can enjoy the Performance Pit, home to DJ sets and a silent disco last year. It is also across the street from the Main Stage, where headliners Joan Jett & The Blackhearts, Halstorm, Russell Dickerson, and Bel Biv DeVoe are set to perform.
Between tokes at the Lounge, those in attendance can explore the diverse event spotlighting creative talent from the area. Local singer Tosha Owens is making her Soaring Eagle debut alongside festival favorites Polish Muslims and Reefermen.
Guests can take in great works in multiple mediums at the south end of the festival at the revered Juried Fine Art Show. This year the show features ceramicists, digital artists, drawings, pastels, textiles, glass art, jewelry, metal, 2D mixed media, 3D mixed media, paintings, photography, and sculpture.
Eats range from fine dining to finger foods, with sweet and savory options. Sponsors Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort will bring festival staple the Cuisine Machine. This food truck serves dishes utilizing the talent and vision of all eight casino restaurants like Legends diner fare and the iconic Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse.
RELATED: Legalization Nation: pot’s problems with perception
Other vendors will be sprinkled throughout the event, including ImaginATE fine dining experience, Fork in Nigeria, Wing Snob, and more. And vegans, don’t worry. Oak House Deli and Aratham will be serving up plant-based fare.
Cannabis will only add to the already rich cultural tapestry created by the Arts, Beats, & Eats festival. This year, adults in attendance can vibe a little deeper with the flavors, sites, and tunes after consuming cannabis in the House of Dank.
Each time a public festival like this, Outside Lands or BottleRock Napa takes the initiative to include the plant in the production, a normalization angel gets its wings. As more festivals include cannabis, it will become as simple for event producers as offering a beer garden.