Cannabis 420 Festival kicks off in downtown Windsor

Vendors talk to residents to kick off the 420 Cannabis Festival in Windsor on April 18, 2019. ( Chris Campbell / CTV Windsor )

The wet weather didn’t dampen the spirits of dozens of people who kicked off the Epic 420 Festival in Windsor.

The three day pro cannabis festival started after 12 p.m. Thursday at Charles Clark Square.

Vendors from as far away as Toronto spent the afternoon setting up displays.

This is the first 420 event in Windsor since recreational marijuana became legal in Canada last year. But this is the third time the festival has taken place in the city.

Admission to the festival is $5 or a non-perishable food donation.

Organizer Leo Lucier, who operated Compassion House, hopes to collect enough canned goods to fill a large truck to deliver the items to local food banks.

“I could care less about cannabis,” says Lucier. “This is about filling the food banks and that's our mission for the next three days and I think we're going to succeed.”

But Lucier says they want to use the festival to promote awareness and support for medical marijuana.

There are a number of guest speakers attending the event, which also features live music.

The festival continues from 12 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.