The 411 on 420 Fest at Centennial Olympic Park

SweetWater 420 Fest celebrates its 15th anniversary this weekend (April 19-21) while also marking its sixth go-round at downtown Atlanta’s crown jewel greenspace, Centennial Olympic Park.

“We’re stoked to be back here again,” said Jennifer Bensch, President of Happy Ending Productions, which promotes and produces the three-day festival.

Kicking off Friday (April 19), 420 Fest features more than 60 performing acts spread across four stages, an artisan market, food trucks, the Planet 420 Eco-Village, the 420 Disco and the SweetWater Experience tent showcasing the Atlanta brewery’s array of beers as well as craft beer-centric programming.

Headlining acts include The Avett Brothers closing out Friday night, and Widespread Panic performing two sets closing out the festival both Saturday night and Sunday night.

Click here for the complete performance schedule.

While much of the event is tried and true – including its eco-friendly focus -there are some new wrinkles this year.

WHAT’S NEW?

The Spectacular, a new Centennial Olympic Park sculpture, will greet 420 Fest-goers this weekend.

First and foremost, festival patrons may notice some physical changes to the Park, including the colorful, popular new Olympic Rings interactive sculpture known as The Spectacular at the Centennial Olympic Park Drive/Andrew Young International Blvd. entryway, the new water feature and relocated Androgyne Planet statue at the Baker Street corner, as well as more greenery, including a giant deodar cedar that was planted near the corner of Marietta Street and Park Avenue West.

Artist rendering of the rebranded 420 Strain Stage.

Another change is the festival’s secondary stage. Formerly known as the Planet 420 Stage, it has been rebranded as the 420 Strain Stage, named after the popular new line of locally-brewed SweetWater beer.

“The naming is a tribute to SweetWater’s brand new, on-fire, 420 Strain line of brews, which push the envelope of brewing by marrying select hops and botanically-sourced terpenes with a proprietary hemp blend to deliver intense aromas and smooth flavors.  Fest guests will see banners highlighting the first two 420 Strain styles:  G13 IPA, which was released last summer and has become SweetWater’s second best-selling beer behind flagship 420 Extra Pale Ale, and Mango Kush, released this spring just in time for the Fest,” according to Happy Ending Productions.

In addition, this stage is positioned differently from previous years. Rather than facing toward the interior of the park, the stage faces toward the Embassy Suites at Park Avenue West/Marietta Street, hopefully mitigating sound overlap with the main stage located at the north end of the Park.

THE NUTS & BOLTS

There are various ticket options available from one-day passes to three-day VIP packages, and for more information, click here.

Festival hours:

Gates open at 1 p.m. Friday, with music starting at 1 p.m. and ending at 11 p.m.

Gates open at 11:30 a.m. Saturday, with music starting at noon and ending at 11 p.m.

Gates open at 11 a.m. Sunday, with music starting at noon and ending at 10 p.m.

Getting here:

The best option is taking MARTA, with easy access to the festival site from either the CNN/GWCC/State Farm Arena/Mercedes-Benz Stadium station or the Peachtree Center station.

If you’re driving, the best bet is the Georgia World Congress Center Authority’s (GWCCA) Green Lot, adjacent to the College Football Hall of Fame and directly across Marietta Street from the Park. The GWCCA’s Red Deck off of Andrew Young Int’l Blvd. is also available. Click here to reserve your spot.

Prohibited Items:

Here’s what you cannot bring to the festival:

• Bags larger than 17-inches-by-13-inches-by-9-inches
• Dogs
• Glass
• Coolers
• Outside alcohol
• Outside food and drink
• Pets
• Illegal drugs
• Fireworks
• Staked/golf umbrellas (small hand-held okay)
• Chairs
• Professional photography or video equipment
• Selfie sticks, GoPros or drones
• Laser pointers

For more information, go to www.sweetwater420fest.com.