For the first time since it was held in 2021, Blue Point Brewing’s annual 4/20 party will be on a Saturday, which means the unofficial celebration of cannabis culture will likely attract a larger crowd.
The Patchogue brewery is getting ready by doubling the footprint of the festival to have twice the number stages for live music, more room for local vendors and food trucks, and fun activities including mini golf and a ferris wheel.
The 4th annual Shakedown on Main Street, named in homage to the Grateful Dead, will also be the first 4/20 festival held by Blue Point since it was acquired last October by Tilray Brands. Tilray is a leading global cannabis company with operations in Canada, Europe, Australia and Latin America. Over the past three years, Tilray has also made a major push into the $30 billion U.S. craft beer market, including the purchase of Montauk Brewing in November 2022.
Blue Point’s Shakedown festival will be hosted with SweetWater 420 Fest, one of the premier music festivals in Atlanta that has been presented for over 20 years by SweetWater Brewing Company, another part of Tilray’s craft beer portfolio. This year’s SweetWater 420 Fest will feature a two-day format on April 20-21 with over 25 live music acts held for the first time at Atlanta’s historic Pullman Yards grounds.
Ty Gilmore, President of U.S. Beers for Tilray, said, “This collaboration represents a fusion of our shared passion for craft beer and our commitment to creating memorable moments, including an unparalleled festival experience that celebrates the best of music, art and beer.”
Mark Burford, a co-founder of Blue Point, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2023, said, “Shakedown on Main Street has become a cornerstone event in the community and is eagerly anticipated each year. We’re all set to deliver our grandest celebration yet at the brewery in Patchogue with vibrant music and exceptional beer.”
The number 420 has a special meaning for marijuana fans, signifying the time of day (4:20 pm) and the date (April 20) when cannabis culture is celebrated. Blue Point’s Shakedown fest celebrates all things cannabis with an outdoor market selling merchandise from over 50 local vendors including arts and crafts, t-shirts, Grateful Dead and Pfish memorabilia, baked goods, and products made with cannabidiol (CBD), a compound found in marijuana that is also derived from hemp. In addition to over a dozen food trucks, there will be oysters from local favorite Tall Mutha Shucka.
Live music at the festival will be on two stages, with the Main Stage headlined by reggae legend Shaggy, along with rappers Bryce Vine, B.o.B and Shwayze. The Jam Stage will feature local bands Ernie and The Band and MJT and other jam bands including Neighbor and Soundswell.
At past Shakedown festivals Blue Point has introduced new beers brewed with terpenes, the naturally-occurring compounds that enhance the flavor and aroma of both beer and cannabis. These beers included Legalize Wheat, a hoppy American Wheat Ale, and Gelato Drip, a Hazy Double IPA. New beers are expected to drop this year, and the festival will also have local beers and canned cocktails available, as well as beers from other Tilray Brands.
The Shakedown on Main Street Festival will run from 2 to 10 pm and tickets to the 21+ event are reportedly selling fast, including limited availability VIP tickets providing access to VIP tents and stage-side viewing access. 420 enthusiasts will want to keep on truckin’ to Patchogue on April 20 to partake in the fun.
Blue Point Brewing is located at 225 W. Main Street in Patchogue, more info at bluepointbrewing.com.
Bernie Kilkelly is editor and publisher of LIBeerGuide.com
