Happy High Holiday!

For those not in the know, the upcoming April 20 (aka “4/20”) has become the annual holiday for people who like to consume cannabis, our now-legal substance for responsible adult use here in Illinois.

You might know cannabis as marijuana — a term with racist history — and the related “Mary Jane;” weed; pot; dope; ganga; herb; kush and chronic; trees; flower; tea; gas; Sinsemilla, Indica and Sativa; straw; and of course The Devil’s Lettuce, among many other terms. And this doesn’t even include other mediums of cannabis and its consumption: edibles and drinkables, vapes, dabbing, patches and creams, and more.

Why is April 20 the date? The story goes that a group of Californian self-named “Waldos” in the 1970s would meet each day at 4:20 p.m. after school to get high, and use “420” as the code for weed. This eventually carried over to the nearby Grateful Dead band home base and deadheads who flyered a party promoting 4/20 as a holiday, which then engaged with High Times  magazine editor Steve Bloom in the early 1990s. 

As a consumer since that era, I’ve marveled at our new Golden Age of weed in which we currently reside. No longer is it necessary to spend an hour or two separating seeds and stems from the Mexican brick you bought from “your guy,” or feel like you have to hang out for a while with the dude in order to get a bag. Now, there are no more questions about potency, effects or adulterants (especially for flower). The possible paranoia, aka The Fear, has disappeared, although that might be something that withers away with long usage. Prices keep falling too, especially with common dispensary sales and specials. (We can’t beat Michigan for price and value, however.)

Illinois also remains behind in public consumption spaces: the “lounges” promised by legalization, but still scant and edibles-only in Chicago, and often plagued by “Delta 8” THC: the hemp derivative enabled by a federal loophole, and inferior for cannabis consumption, in my opinion.  Unlike for tobacco cigars, there don’t seem to be any cannabis smoking lounges in Chicago at all.

At least our McKinley Park neighborhood will soon get our own cannabis dispensary. The construction of the dispensary building on the northwest corner of South Ashland Avenue and West 35th Street looks to now be proceeding quickly, after a car rammed the building in an accident, requiring demolition. It won’t be ready for this year’s 420, though.

What will be ready are local groups and enterprises celebrating the high holiday, starting this weekend. Here are some 420 cannabis events occurring within and planned from Chicago’s McKinley Park neighborhood:
    NEW UPDATE (4/19): The event venue has been moved to 12305 S. Halsted St., Chicago.

UPDATE: A Chicago Department of Buildings notice placed at this venue dated April 14, 2026, states that the venue has been closed and vacated by order of the city. Thus, this event is either moved, canceled or rescheduled and looks to not be taking place as posted here.

How High 420 Experience
7 p.m. on Monday, April 20, at 35th Street Studios
Probably best suited to those already well-versed in cannabis, this party celebrates the wacky tobaccy with deeply infused experiences, consumption competitions, music performance and more.
  Dank Magic Mini-Mart (This weekend!)
4:20 p.m. on Saturday, April 18, at Life on Marz Community Club
Take a trip to Bucktown for free samples, tons of schwag, tarot, magic and music performances at Marz Community Brewing Co.’s swanky space next to Margie’s Candies.
  Open Share (Tonight!)
7 p.m. on Friday, April 17, at 35th Street Studios
Drink, smoke and play some dope-ass music with fellow local creatives.
  Legion Comedy Show with Mochi Calvillo
8 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday, April 24, at William McKinley American Legion Post 231
Enjoy 420-friendly stand-up performances from multiple comedians alongside onsite drinks, food and cannabis vending.

I hope all had a happy high holiday! Events still continue through this week, including the comedy show at the American Legion on Friday night. 

I had an excellent time at the How High 420 event last night, which still went on at a West Pullman neighborhood location after the original McKinley Park venue of 35th Street Studios was shuttered.

Many entertaining singers and rappers took the stage, including a majority of women soloists. I really enjoyed the sets from Kentri.M , Envy  and India Indica , who put on a great show while eight months pregnant! I was also happy to get a chance to see a bit of The Swim Team and a couple of their performing members who were able to stay for the late performance.

The food from vendors  was really excellent, too: I munched on a couple s'mores cookies from  TT'z Treats , and Chef Jade 's fall-off-the-bone BBQ chicken, greens and mac & cheese hit the spot!

The best part of the event was being able to meet new people and music artists and engage with them directly, especially being able to talk with them about their music before and after their performances. 

I'd recommend this scene as a great way to connect with local up-and-coming musicians, creators, producers and hip hop lovers. I'll look forward to the next event!