Puff, puff, rock: Weedstock returns this weekend for two days of music, camping & smoking

New York may have had Woodstock 49 years ago, but Delaware has Weedstock.

And it returns this weekend, bigger than before.

The second annual marijuana-themed music and camping festival will return to Townsend beginning Friday, expanding to two days and delivering 20 hours of live music by 15 original bands from Delaware and the surrounding region.

The event, which drew 350 people last year, is sponsored by Delaware NORML, the state’s chapter of the national pro-legalization group whose acronym stands for National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.

While the group has pushed successful marijuana reform in Delaware, including medical marijuana in 2011 and decriminalizing the drug in 2015, legislation to make recreational pot use legal failed to pass in the General Assembly last session. H.B. 110 was four votes shy of passing the House in June.

"Honest to God, we thought this was going to be a celebration party," says Delaware NORML executive director Cynthia Ferguson, whose group is redoubling their efforts for when legislators return to Dover in January.

The 21-and-older-only festival will once again be held at Fire Base Lloyd at 474 Fleming Landing Road in Townsend, an outdoor event space owned by Vietnam Veterans Motorcycle Club of Delaware. The spot is regularly rented for private events.

Members of the motorcycle club will be used as security at the gate, which is the only way in and out of the grounds.

Under Delaware's decriminalization law, possession or private use of one ounce or less of marijuana is not a crime. Since Fire Base Lloyd is private property, smokers can freely light up while the acts jam out.

"Cannabis and music go hand-in-hand and, unfortunately, most venues search you," says Ferguson, an event co-founder. "We wanted to create an environment where people were comfortable and could do what they wanted to do once inside the gate."

The gates open Friday at 6 p.m. and that night will offer a trio of acts including Wilmington bands Xtra Alltra and Urban Shaman Attack.

On Saturday, a dozen acts will perform from noon to midnight on the outdoor stage including beach-based funky blues favorites Lower Case Blues, rollicking proto-punk/psychedelic surf from The Bad Larrys of Wilmington and fellow city-based soul-stirrers Terretta Storm.

Tickets, which are available at weedstock.brownpapertickets.com, cost $15 for Friday, $30 for Saturday or $40 for the whole weekend. Camping costs an additional $20 with Sunday brunch included.

Don't worry. There will be food the rest of the weekend as well with the WiLDWiCH, Fuego, Dixie's Down Home Cooking and Gonzo's Kitchen food trucks whipping up meals and munchies for the masses.

Even though beer and wine will be sold on site, the festival is also BYOB. But in this case it means "bring your own bud." 

Bassist Randy Waters of Wilmington performed at Weedstock with his reggae act Brixton Saint last year and will return with Terretta Storm on Saturday. 

"It really wasn't that much different than other festivals. People were just out there to have a good time," says Waters, who as a non-smoker, didn't feel out of place. "If you didn't want to try anything, it was fine. No big deal. There were plenty of people there who didn't smoke and they were busy with the music, barbecue and beer."   

After last year's one-day Weedstock debut in June, Delaware NORML also hosted LOUD Fest at the same location in September, drawing a bigger crowd of 500. Organizers expect even more now that the two events have been combined into a two-night festival.

There will be speeches from activists and many of the area's advocate groups will be there as well, including Maryland's Veterans Initiative 22, Pennsylvania Veterans for Medical Marijuana and PhillyNORML.

There will also be shopping opportunities from marijuana-friendly vendors, selling everything from products made with hemp to accessories.

Delaware NORML Secretary Laura Sharer says the event is not only about a good time, but it also helps to push the issue into the public square more, raising awareness and knocking down stigmas.

That's one of the reasons why the event is not a word-of-mouth, under-the-radar affair, like it would have been years ago.

"We want to say we are responsible, adult cannabis consumers. We pay our taxes, we participate in community events, we run stores, we run schools," she says. "We're normal people just like everybody else. We are Delaware.

"Years from now it will be great to look back and remember when we had Weedstock to make marijuana legal, took that first step and put ourselves on the line to break those taboos."

Contact Ryan Cormier of The News Journal at rcormier@delawareonline.com or (302) 324-2863. Follow him on Facebook (@ryancormier), Twitter (@ryancormier) and Instagram (@ryancormier).

IF YOU GO

What: Weedstock 2018

When: Friday through Sunday

Where: Fire Base Lloyd, 474 Fleming Landing Road, Townsend

Musical acts: Dee Maple Band, Xtra Alltra and Urban Shaman Attack perform Friday. On Saturday, acts include The Bad Larrys, Dirt Weed Revue, Pygmy Hippo, The Knotty G's, The James Dean Band, Muskrat Lightning, St. James & The Apostles, Terretta Storm, Earth Radio, Tithonos, The Susquehanna Floods and Lower Case Blues.

Cost: Friday $15, Saturday $30 or $40 for both days. Camping is an additional $20 with a Sunday brunch included.

Ages: 21 and older only

Food trucks: WiLDWiCH, Fuego Food Truck, Dixie's Down Home Cooking and Gonzo's Kitchen

Information: denorml.org and facebook.com/DENORML