EarthFair festivities took over Balboa Park last Sunday, bringing together tens of thousands of eco-minded attendees in San Diego’s famous urban cultural melting pot.
With an average attendance of approximately 50,000 people, EarthFair is the largest free annual environmental fair in the world.
This year, the popular annual day-long event featured three international food courts, two beer gardens, entertainment stages, an Earth Day parade, and more than 200 exhibitors.
In addition to the various entertainment stages, Balboa Park’s historic Spreckles Organ Pavilion was the setting for an afternoon operatic singing performance with the Spreckles Organ.
Constructed in 1915, the Spreckles Organ is the world’s largest open-air musical instrument.
Cannabis Row
Cannabis Row returned to Balboa Park for the 2022 installment of EarthFair, once again positioned in the grassy area next to the Comic-Con Museum on Presidents Way.
Cannabis Row was a prominent feature at the previous EarthFair in 2019.
The cannabis-centric section of EarthFair hosts companies and organizations dedicated to legalization, activism, advocacy, and production of the cannabis plant.
Seedless, Hush, Jaxx, Stiiizy, and Kanha were among the brands represented at more than 60 booths in the Cannabis Row corridor, which also featured live hemp plants provided by the Hemp Farmers Guild.
At some booths, companies provided visitors with activities like miniature golf and over-sized Connect 4 and Jenga games.
A few also had bean bags where visitors could get off their feet and relax for a bit.
Positioned prominently at one end of Cannabis Row was the San Diego Cannabis Farmers Market’s Farmers Cup booth.
The San Diego Cannabis Famers Market crew and organizer Josh Caruso have been instrumental in Cannabis Row’s inclusion in EarthFair.
And while there were no cannabis products for sale in Cannabis Row, some vendors offered water and non-medicated samples of their products, like ice cream.
“This event represents the growth potential that the San Diego region has for cannabis businesses and more importantly reveals a deep cannabis culture that has been ingrained but clouded in recent history,” says Caruso. “We want to see those areas shine, and that was one of our goals for this event. Stay tuned for more cannabis culture events in 2022. Up next is our 710 Cannabis Competition Farmers Cup, and after that, our 4th annual SoCal Cannabis Career & Business Expo in October.”
Onsite Consumption and Competition Awards
There was also a consumption area in a section of the parking lot at the end of Cannabis Row closest to Park Blvd.
For the duration of the event, attendees could board two parked party buses and partake in some free dabs.
Various bands performed throughout the event at the same end of Cannabis Row, serenading passersby and people relaxing on the grassy hillside in front of the stage.
Capping off Cannabis Row’s day at EarthFair, Nug Life Radio Show host and cannabis industry personality Michael “Medi Mike” Boris presented trophies to the latest Farmers Cup competition winners.
Cannabis Talk 101 host and former Playboy model Christine Smith joined Boris onstage for the duration of the award presentation.
With another EarthFair and Cannabis Row completed, the San Diego Cannabis Farmers Market will focus on its next competition, which centers around concentrates.
For details on the 710 competition, visit the San Diego Cannabis Farmers Market website.
I loved getting tosee old friends and this event was wonderful. Please -what is the name of laser artist that made the March and Ash sign and The Originals sign? He had a tent with necklaces and i took his card but it didn’t it home. I pitched an idea for him to do something with my son’s company and son loves the idea so I want to be connected with this artist. He will be happpy. TIA