Article content continued

“If we normally have a 40,000 peak crowd, then maybe we will get 45 or 50 this year at the peak time. Maybe even more with Cypress Hill. I’m expecting this by far to be the biggest one we’ve had,” said Larsen.

While peak time is around 4:20 p.m., overall visitor numbers during the eight-hour event are usually closer to 100,000, Larsen added.

The event has been held at Sunset Beach for the past three years, despite the Vancouver park board’s continued refusal to issue organizers a permit for the park. Previously, the event was held at the Vancouver Art Gallery’s downtown plaza.

In a prepared statement, the parks board said event organizers hadn’t told them that they would be using a major band to draw crowds to the site. Sunset Beach is in the West End and north of the Burrard Street Bridge.

“The 4/20 organizers did not notify the city or park board that Cypress Hill would be their headline act at this year’s event,” the statement read.

“The park board does not feel this protest event is an appropriate use of park space. It violates the non-smoking bylaw and has negative impacts to regular park-users, facilities and residents. Similar to prior years, the park board, in co-operation with our partners at the city, (Vancouver police) and (Vancouver Fire and Rescue Services), will be doing everything it can to preserve public safety and minimize park impacts from the event.”

Historically advertised as a rally or protest, the event has now become the go-to spot for cannabis vendors and those seeking marijuana marketplace offerings.

Larsen said that despite not having a permit, organizers had met with many city departments.

“Obviously we are not getting a permit from the event itself, but we’ve had some advance meeting with all the relevant departments,” he said. “We’ve talked to the VPD, emergency services, Vancouver Coastal Health, sanitation, park rangers. Every department you could think of we’ve had a meeting with. It’s all going really well. You would think because of the park board and the way they talk about it, there would be big conflicts. But the reality is on the ground that we work very well with the departments.”

Vancouver police weren’t available to comment on whether they would be deploying more resources in light of the expected crowd increases.

Larsen said the event makes money from selling sponsorships and about 300 vendor spaces. It spends about $100,000 on security, paramedics, portable toilets, turf protection and other costs. Last year, organizers gave the city $63,000 to cover some costs.

“Having a band like Cypress Hill brings in more revenue because there’s more reason to be involved with the event and helps us pay our other bills,” he said.