Whistler’s 10th Annual 4-20 Party– One to Remember (if you can.)
For a certain laid back subsection of Mountain Culture, the holiest of holy days is fast approaching. April 20, aka 4-20, is an annual day to kick back with your buds, enjoy some sunshine, good music and perhaps a toke or two.
While pot smokers are not generally known for their organizational skills, this year marks the tenth anniversary of the annual 4-20 party at Whistler Creekside’s Dusty’s Bar and Grill. Last year Mountain Life went on assignment to the party and filed this report. This year promises to be better than ever.
Whistler, BC – April, 20, 2009.
To a point, it isn’t hard to get the details on Whistler’s annual 420 party, a celebration of music, spring, and the infamous BC Bud. Ask anyone where it is, they’ll tell you it’s at Dusty’s Bar and Grill in Creekside. Ask what time? 4:20 pm, obviously. Ask who is in charge, who’s running things and you get the same answer year after year– nobody really.
It’s not a clever tactic to confuse the cops. NobodyReally, aka Robbie Currie, is a 31-year-old rapper who throws the yearly event that brings together musicians, rappers, and everyone else for an afternoon of chilling on the patio, and maybe even blazing the occasional spliff.
The cops do show up though– a marked car peels through the usually-pedestrian-only walkway at 4:16. NobodyReally is handing out free rolling papers at the door (Vancouver’s The New Amsterdam Café is a sponsor) and he greets the Po-Po with a smile, lets them in for free.
The RCMP take a look around– no one is smoking anything and the reggae band is still setting up on the patio. No crimes anywhere so they leave, at 4:19.
At 4:20, the music kicks in, drowning out the clik-clik of numerous lighters, and the party begins. “Obviously, discretion should be used even here,” Currie smirks. “But it is 4-20, and this is Whistler, so you know it’s gonna be a good time.”
* * *
April 13, 2010
I spoke with Robbie on the phone to get the inside scoop on what to expect for this special anniversary of the party.
“We’re keeping going and it’s all about freedom,” Currie says. “Whistler is a town that is all about the freedom of the mountains and the carefree lifestyle. There are a lot of kids living here that wake up, hit the bong and go ride hard all winter. We do this party for them.”
Vancouver’s New Amsterdam Café is back as a headlining sponsor, joined by Whistler’s Katmandu, the Hempire and Armada skis.
“The doors open at 4 pm and the first 100 people in the door get a free gift bag,” Currie expains, “and we’ll be raffling off great prizes every half hour.” Raffle tix are 2 bucks each and you could walk away with a $140 glass bong.
Of course no party is a party with out music and the 10th annual 4-20 is no exception. “Hip hop and reggae are staples of this culture and this party,” Currie explains. “We’ve got more music than ever this year and playing until 1 am. We’re going bigger than ever for the milestone.”
From what I saw at last season’s shindig, the ten-year 4-20 party is more like a milestoned.
MUSIC Featuring:
-> KOSTAMAN (Whistler)
-> JUX CAIN (Toronto)
-> PHROH & ELEMENT MC (Whistler Junglists)
-> DJ TEN80 (New Zealand)
-> KEITH FORCE (Van City)
-> MC LOGIC (Whistler
-> ANIMAL NATION (Whistler)
-> MC CLUTCH & PHAREKE (Van City)
-> TRAVLIST (Wild Bunch, Whistler)
-> NOBODY REALLY & GODFREY (Van City)
-> BILL ZONE (Van City)
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
holy sH*t, thanks for posting this guys….I almost forgot about this party!!…i’m in Des Moines, Iowa of all places, but on my way back to whis. tomorrow. i was there at dusty’s last year and wouldn’t miss this 10th anniversary for anything. i miss dusty’s too…they got the shaft this winter but hopefully the whole town shows up to support this party.
see you soon. i’ll try and make it early, but you know us…hahaa