Update: Melanie has been found and is safe.

Thank you to members of our community who helped get the word out.

Seattle Hempfest 2010 would like to thank the following...

Support Seattle Hempfest and join its community of members, in online forums and at many special events throughout the year, and receive special benefits at the world's largest Hempfest!

Browse our various Membership levels: Supporter ($25) / Member ($50) / VIP ($150)

In addition to the pride of advancing the cause of legalization by helping produce its largest forum with Seattle Hempfest, our members are rewarded with the following exclusive benefits:

The Hemp and Cannabis Foundation Presents Seattle Hempfest 2010

The Hempire Expo Presents Seattle Hempfest 2010

Seattle Hempfest is an all-volunteer event, and we can use your help with promotion. Please feel free to use these in your magazine, on your blog, in your podcast, etc. Reproduction limited to free distribution for informational purposes only. Other usage is strictly prohibited unless permission in writing is obtained from the artist(s) please.

What does Responsible Use mean when applied to cannabis consumption?

For the last 70 years, cannabis has been treated by the US government as one of the most dangerous substances on earth, even though it has never killed a single person. It has been called a gateway drug and the "assassin of youth." It has, at times, even been said to grow breasts on men. The cannabis plant has been intensely politicized, and its association to the 1960’s counterculture has largely been exploited to aid in its prohibition.

Seattle Hempfest recognizes the Americans with Disabilities Act. For attendees with a disability Hempfest offers the following:

Hempfest has two dedicated motorized carts just for ADA assistance as available, subject to crowding and ability to navigate the cart among festival-goers. Service may be suspended during peak afternoon hours. A limited number of manual wheelchairs (8) will be available on a first come first serve basis. If you need a wheelchair, you should bring your own, if possible. For those who use power chairs, we will have a battery charging station available at the main First Aid tent as well as tools for simple repairs, and we can fix flat tires, if necessary.

Dear Hempfest attendees,
Please watch this PSA before attending Seattle Hempfest 2010 to ensure your visit is a safe and enjoyable one. See you at the fest!

Photo by Team Boo Images.

Seattle Hempfest happens thanks to a volunteer core staff of 140 working year-round and an additional 1,000 volunteering through the week of our event. Over ninety distinct crews synergize to produce the largest pot rally on the planet. The energy created by this activist family is amazing, and we invite you to be a part of it!

We need Volunteers from August 17th through the 25th, day and night. Click here to sign up for Hempfest 2010 Crews and Shifts!

Don't forget! We're counting on you to show up for the shifts you signed up for, and you can change your shifts by logging in. REMEMBER to bring your Photo ID with you to Staff Check-In.

ALL SET UP AND TEARDOWN STAFF MUST WEAR A HEMPFEST SAFETY VEST AND CLOSED-TOED SHOES ONSITE!
This means everyone working from 8/17-8/20 and also 8/23-8/25

Volunteer Frequently Asked Questions

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 7, 2010

After a sometimes contentious battle with the City of Seattle, Seattle Hempfest is permitted for a 2-day event: Saturday and Sunday, August 21-22, 2010 from 10am to 8pm. Seattle Hempfest has given in to the City’s budgetary concerns and postpone their quest for a 3-day event until 2011.

Seattle Events, A Non-Profit Corporation sought a third day for their popular Seattle Hempfest event due to very high attendance during 2009. “Our 2009 festival caused much concern for safety in our volunteer community." says Vivian McPeak, Executive Director of Seattle Hempfest. "We thought the city would be cooperative in our efforts to maintain public safety."

Seattle Hempfest 2006 - Main Stage. Photo by Owl Jester.

Seattle Hempfest is two days and is held the third weekend in August each year. The next Seattle Hempfest is August 20-21, 2011. The event hours are from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. Admission to Seattle Hempfest is free.

2008 Seattle Hempfest Event Programs
Photo Credit: Cyril Bouanna

Each year Seattle Hempfest creates a 32 page Event Program. The Event Program highlights the many exciting partnerships and opportunities for Hempfest attendees. Hempfest goers preserve their programs as memorabilia, offering the advertiser a unique opportunity for long-term branding.

To place an advertisement in the Seattle Hempfest 2010 Event Program, purchase an advertisement (click here), and then mail in your advertisement image to the Event Program crew by July 30, 2010

1) Hemp is among the oldest industries on the planet, going back more than 10,000 years to the beginnings of pottery. The Columbia History of the World states that the oldest relic of human industry is a bit of hemp fabric dating back to approximately 8,000 BC.

2) Presidents Washington and Jefferson both grew hemp. Americans were legally bound to grow hemp during the Colonial Era and Early Republic. The federal government subsidized hemp during the Second World War and U.S. farmers grew about a million acres of hemp as part of that program.

3) Hemp seed is nutritious and contains more essential fatty acids than any other source, is second only to soybeans in complete protein (but is more digestible by humans), is high in B-vitamins, and is a good source of dietary fiber. Hemp seed is not psychoactive and cannot be used as a drug (learn more at TestPledge.com).

2009 Seattle Hempfest - Hemposium Stage, "Hemp For Victory" Speakers Panel: Steve Levine, Anndrea Hermann, Adam Eidinger, George Rohrbacher, Sue Kastensen, Denny Finneran

Hemposium Stage, 11:00 AM, Saturday, August 15 2009
Speakers Panel: Emcee: Philippe Lucas, Leland "Lee" Berger, Omar Figueroa, Douglas Hiatt, Edie Lerman, Jeffery Steinborn.

http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=CC9B54216A5BFF3F

This video displays what one can expect from Seattle Hempfest. The song is "More Than Just Weed" by 4Ever Records.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHjCVOmrR_s

Seattle Hempfest is the largest cannabis policy reform event in the world. Now in its 18th year, the protestival attracts tens of thousands of people each day to listen to Hempfest’s reform messages amidst the festival atmosphere.

Main Stage, Seattle Hempfest 2006. Photo by Anthony P. Lilly

Vending Sales Open to the Public!

We have vending galore! Vending sales are now open to the public. Just click on vendors to find out how to purchase a vending booth. Seattle Hempfest has hundreds of vending opportunities available and our vending team is ready to answer your questions. Contact us if you have questions that are not answered in the vending section of this website.

Hempfest is looking for volunteer certified flaggers and licensed forklift operators

We need all kinds of skills. Riggers, greeters, stage hands, drivers, security, safety, traffic, vending, cooks, food prep, sign painter, graphic artist, podcast, software design, Drupal programmers, grant writers, writers, construction, deconstruction, hydration and caffeination.

Seattle Hempfest Mission Statement

Seattle Hempfest is founded in the belief that the public is better served when citizens and public officials work cooperatively in order to successfully accomplish common goals.

Objective and Purpose

To educate the public on the myriad of potential benefits offered by the Cannabis plant, including the medicinal, industrial, agricultural, economic, environmental, and other benefits and applications. In particular, Seattle Hempfest seeks to advance the cause of Cannabis policy reform through education, while advancing the public image of the Cannabis advocate or enthusiast through example.

Members of the Seattle Hempfest Core Group have recently returned from Berkeley, California, after attending the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws national conference, where we were awarded the 2008 NORML "Outstanding Cannabis Advocate Award."

If you lost an item at Seattle Hempfest 2010, we may have it! Call or email a detailed description of your lost item, including your full name, phone and email and we will get back to you.

Email: lostandfound2010@hempfest.org

Hemposium Stage 2009

• Speakers Panel - Hemp For Victory
• Speakers Panel - uman Rights for Cannabis Farmers Dispensers and Consumers

Hemposium Stage 2008

• Industrial Hemp: What it Can Do for America (Day 1)
• Industrial Hemp: What it Can Do for America (Day 2)
• State of the State: Washington Medical Marijuana Law
• Cannabis and Spiritual Freedom
• Looking Forward in Cannabis Reform
• Pot Pride
• Marijuana Mythbusters

On May 3, 2008, over 200 cities world wide, had marches against the prohibition of cannabis. In Seattle, hepatitis patient Tim Garon had been denied a transplant because of his medical marijuana use, and had just died. A group of Seattle medical marijuana patients organized a march and rally. The march was from Volunteer park in Seattle and went to the rally at Westlake Center Square.

Former Seattle Police Chief (1994-2000) Norm Stamper is interviewed backstage by Hempfest event director Vivian McPeak for THC-TV, at Hempfest 2006.

In 2001 Hempfest and Hype Schwartz produced a documentary of our event, featuring Woody Harrelson and a cast of many thousands.

We welcome all levels of Donations, whether it's a one-time gift, a monthly donation or the establishment of a matching gifts program. Or join our Membership program, which rewards your contribution with insider access and events.
Thanks again for your generous support of our efforts to legalize Cannabis.