During the weekend, Purple Lotus and Music in the Park held its two-day, weed-themed music festival at Plaza de César Chávez in downtown San José. 

The cannabis festival, a first for San José, blended weed culture with food and drinks, art, vendors and live music, according to the Purple Lotus website flyer.

Originating in 1989, Music in the Park is San José’s longstanding outdoor concert series, according to the organization’s website. 

Purple Lotus is a cannabis dispensary that has two locations in San José, one being half a mile east of San José State.

Nadeem Khan, co-owner of Purple Lotus, and Dan Pulcrano, founder of Music in the Park, collaborated to create the cannabis-centered music festival.

Khan said the event was a full-circle moment.

“We’re praying to the gods that this is the first of many… Purple Lotus is here to stay,” Khan said.

The celebration included performances from 17 different artists, including Baby Bash, RBL Posse, THE LEGENDARY WAILERS and Luniz. 

Saturday’s lineup consisted of reggae artists, while Sunday focused on Bay Area hip-hop, according to the Purple Lotus line-up webpage.

Businesses tabled during the festival, featuring about 20 cannabis brands, food trucks and non-cannabis related goods.

Psychedelic Zone, a Santa Cruz-based psychedelics business, was the only vendor selling mushroom-based products.

Psychedelic Zone offers psilocybin mushroom products in several forms such as chocolates, gummies and microdose capsules, according to the business’s website. 

Aldo Seha, a staff member of Psychedelic Zone, said he was excited to be a part of the event.

“This is the first time that something like this is done in San José, so we’re glad to be a part of the premiere experience today,” Seha said.

Seha said that representing safe usage of psychedelic mushrooms is being recognized nationally.

“Trump recently signed a new legislation to speed up the whole research and legalization of 

psilocybin, so it kind of goes with the fact that it’s more of a medicinal thing that you could use, and it’s being recognized as such,” Seha said.

On April 20, President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order accelerating research in psychedelic drugs as treatment for mental illness, particularly for veterans, according to an White House news release.

Other businesses that tabled focused on selling clothing and colorful handmade goods. 

Gail Barsky, the owner of Tie Dye By Gail, brought a selection of tie-dye clothing and apparel to the event.

“I’ve always been a fan of tie-dye, but I started doing it myself as a hobby during the pandemic,” Barsky said.

Barsky said she was invited to 420 in the Park after tabling at previous events organized by Music in the Park, but was disappointed about marijuana unavailable for purchase during the event.

“It’s too bad they’re not selling weed,” Barsky said. “That’s a mistake.”

Although the event was in partnership with Purple Lotus, onsite purchases of cannabis products were not allowed. However, guests could bring their own products, according to the Music in the Park website.

California law allows for temporary cannabis events for anyone 21 or older if approved by the city, according to the California Department of Cannabis Control.

National businesses also traveled to the weekend festival to attend and sell products. 

Wayne Eckhardt, a sales executive for Timeless, said the company collaborates with graffiti artists for its packaging to challenge the public perception of both groups.

“We do collaborations with artists four times a year,” Eckhardt said.
”And our whole goal with that is to help eliminate the negative stigma around graffiti and cannabis.”

Timeless is a cannabis producer specializing in prerolls and vapes, according to the brand’s website.

Khan said the event represented the cannabis enthusiast community in San José.

“But if there’s one thing that brings people together with love, it’s going to be cannabis,” Khan said.

420 in the Park is part of the Music in the Park summer series including events over the summer.  

The next event will be the Freestyle Explosion concert on July 24 with several artists.