Civic Center Park on April 20, 2021, as 4:20 p.m. approached.
Hilal Bahcetepe
This was the second year in a row that Civic Center was quiet on 4/20. Last year, while stay-at-home orders were in effect because of the pandemic, the perimeter of the park was closed off by fences, police officers waited in the grass, and sirens and automated warnings blared at 4:20 p.m.
Pandemic notwithstanding, Denver attracts thousands of cannabis tourists, activists and consumers each year to celebrate the unofficial holiday for stoners. Civic Center has been the designated venue to host 4/20 rallies and protests for more than a decade, thanks largely to the late cannabis activist Ken Gorman. Two competing organizers say they plan to host something at Civic Center next year, so we’ll see how cloudy things get in 2022.