Skip to content

Festival approved in GF

CannaFest will feature popular ’80s rockers such as Headpins, Prism, Streetheart and Lou Gramm of Foreigner.

CannaFest 2015, a two-day festival featuring music from the likes of Prism, the Headpins and Foreigner frontman Lou Gramm, is coming to Grand Forks.

At the regular council meeting on Feb. 23, council voted to support the event after the promoter addressed some of the original concerns from council.

“I think it should be noted that originally when Mr. Varabioff presented to us with a request for CannaFest 2015 music festival, it was advertised as an educational event to promote and educate on medical marijuana and have a dispenser on site where they would be selling it,” said Coun. Chris Hammett. “They have since been refused an application and have come back and said there would be no sales of medical marijuana at the event at all. He has also said there will be no liquor at the event on the grounds.”

The letter to council from promoter Chuck Varabioff of the BC Pain Society stated that no marijuana would be sold at the festival. He would not change the name of the festival. “I can live with no marijuana sales, but to change the name would be extremely difficult as we are trying to brand ‘CannaFest’ into a household name,” he wrote.

Varabioff also stated that ticket sales would be capped at 3,000 and that there would be one security guard for every 10 attendees.

Tickets are already available on the bcpainsociety.com website for $50 for a single day pass and $75 for a two-day pass. Kids 6-12 are $25 for both days; kids under 6 are free. Tickets are also available locally at The Source and Kocomo’s as of this Saturday, March 8. The show will be held at James Donaldson Park on Aug. 7.