The grass is greener than ever at Grass Lands
Outside Lands has brought an adult wonderland with international music acts to life yearly in Golden Gate Park for over a decade. Hop lovers can enjoy suds at Beer Lands, and supertasters can traipse over to Wine Lands to sample the best of California vino.
This renowned fest is a playground filled with food, beverages, activities, and magic waiting to be discovered. Oh, there is also a ton of live music. Dozens of artists play almost round the clock on six stages, each named after iconic San Francisco neighborhoods. Those up for after-hours can find a handful of satellite shows around the city.
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The “Pink Pony Club” is likely already bedazzling their hats for Chappell Roan and gearing up for some “Espresso” with Sabrina Carpenter. Those turning up their noses at the girlie vibes may prefer to soak up nostalgia with The Postal Service and The Killers, or discover the badassery of Ogi and K.Flay. These artists are but a few of the talented musicians traveling to the Bay for the yearly spectacle.
If dozens of performers and Dionysian wine, beer, and weed gardens are not attractive enough. There is award-winning food, too. Guests can dine out on delicious fare between sets at the Taste of the Bay Area.
The space features 100 local restaurants, including Northern Vietnamese cuisine from Bodega, bowls and burritos from Curry Up Now, scoops from Humphry Slocombe, and so much more. Like, literally 97 more. Vegans, vegetarians, and gluten-free festival-goers will not be left out, either. Donuts, dogs, and pizzas all advertise vegan options for the festival.
This gastronomical experience may be better after some Grass Lands offerings, which cover the gamut of weed, music, beverages, and fun.
The best Grass Lands at Outside Lands yet
Since 2018, the San Francisco festival has also catered to cannabis connoisseurs at Grass Lands. And the extraordinary weed offering may continue breaking barriers this year. This year, Grass Lands is presented by Embarc, a California dispensary chain prepared to serve up quality cannabis at the festival for the third time.
“Each year, we continue to refine the offerings based on folks’ preferences from the year before and focus on creating new ways to highlight participating brands given the opportunity this represents for direct engagement with the masses,” Lauren Carpenter, Embarc co-founder and CEO, commented to GreenState.
Grass Lands, which is located “South of the Polo Field,” serves as a place where cultivators and brands can find their people. Guests appreciate this front-seat view into their favorite weed products, and it is only the beginning of what the 420-friendly section of the park has to offer.
The space has weed, music, Bloomstock coffee beverages, and Total Meltdown grilled cheese. There will even be music all weekend, so technically, nobody has to leave.
On Friday, psychedelic Americana rocker Eric Silverman will take the stage. On day two, visitors can pick up the BPM with DJ Umami. Then, The Californicorns plan to lay down some funky grooves at Grass Lands Sunday for a well-rounded weekend of lifted sets. While each band is fire and grilled cheese legit, many will be enticed back out of Grass Lands eventually.
Buy, smoke, vape, and sip at Grass Lands
Music festivals are a longstanding tradition, but the open consumption and purchase of cannabis is a newer development. After years in the game, Embarc has the process more dialed in than most.
The retailer chose classic cannabis products, festival-friendly fodder, or trendy SKUs like the newly released Embarc Mother Pucker lemonade to bring to the Grass Lands menu. Attendees can also vote for the industry they want to see using their dollars at the Legacy Market.
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The Legacy Market is a partnership between Sunset Pipeline and the Equity Trade Network. It brings social equity brands owned and operated by people of color, the LGBTQ+ community, and women to the front.
People can put a face to their favorite flower and pick up some fire. On top of those sales, Embarc will donate one percent of festival sales to the Equity Trade Network, Success Centers, and Haight Street Art Center.
Community vibes will continue strong this year with help from brand partners like Sonoma Hills Farm, Halara, Ooka, Claybourne Co., and MAISON BLOOM.
MAISON BLOOM chief innovation officer Jake Wall looks forward to creating a neighborhood weed watering hole moment in the Green Room at Grass Lands. The beverage brand activation aims to blend VIP status and that place where everyone knows your name in a THC twist.
“From Sonoma Hills Farms to Khalifa Kush to Kanha, we are on a mission to make the Green Room the Cheers of Grass Lands,” Wall shared. “Whether you’re a seasoned cannabis enthusiast or just curious, we’re dedicated to delivering an experience focused on tantalizing taste buds and igniting imagination all set to a live soundtrack that can only happen at Outside Lands.”
In alignment with the cannabis plant, Grass Lands is a place to play, relax, and be curious.
“Grass Lands feels serene and playful, so we see many people returning throughout the weekend – whether they want to purchase and consume cannabis or just learn more about the plant,” Carpenter said.
Kiva Confections contributes to the whimsy in its forest-themed Chill Spot inspired by its Camino Wild Berry Chill gummies. Senior marketing director Marissa Gomes shared excitement for the festival with GreenState for stoners who now get to live out loud at festivals like Outside Lands.
“Cannabis is usually hidden in the bags and pockets of fans and rarely celebrated out in the open like alcohol usually is at these types of events. We’re thrilled to be part of their curated cannabis experience again this year,” said Gomes.
Visitors can pick up a two-pack or full tin of various experience-driven Camino vibe while kicking back in the lush oasis lounge. Each offering in the weed-centric festival hub promises a comfortable experience, offering an oft-needed break from the high energy of the main grounds.
The grass is greener at Grass Lands
Grass Lands made history even before weed sales were allowed. Including cannabis in a mainstream event as massive as Outside Lands signaled to the country that the plant might be normal after all. As champions of normalization, it only makes sense that the dispensary, lounge, and full-on experience would grow in popularity.
As someone who has seen it blossoming in the last few years, Carpenter regards Grass Lands and Outside Lands as a place to observe normalization in real-time. Many attendees will see weed sales as “the usual,” but out-of-state visitors also stroll around the space with stars in their eyes.
Gomes agrees, and since cannabis is often kept separate at events, is thankful for the opportunity to connect with a vast audience.
“In a regulated industry that affords limited opportunities for cannabis brands to engage directly with consumers, we can’t think of a better place to be able to do that than at Grass Lands,” Gomes concluded.
EDITOR’S NOTE: This article has been updated to credit Sunset Pipeline as retail partner for the Legacy Market, it was previously listed incorrectly as Embarc.
