San Francisco loves its music festivals. From Hardly Strictly Bluegrass to Outside Lands and everything in between, there’s always a show to see in the city. There’s no question that cannabis is frequently a part of the concert-going experience. This year, one historic SF festival is making the connection official.
Stern Grove Festival, the long-running free concert series, established a unique partnership for 2025 with craft-cannabis-forward dispensary chain Solful. Nestled within a eucalyptus-wooded natural amphitheater known as Sigmund Stern Grove, the festival has run for 88 years and counting. However, 2025 is the first year a cannabis sponsor has joined the fun.
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For a limited time, adults 21 and over can purchase a specially curated Stern Grove capsule at the weed shop. The kit retails for $150 and includes a number of products meant to complement the festie vibe:
- Solful x Stern Grove 2025 Tote Bag custom designed by San Franpsycho
- Solful Handpicked Reserve eighth of Mike’s Bomba
- Sonoma Hills Farm Pre-roll 4-pack of The Stern Grove Green Room blend, a nostalgic blend featuring Sour Diesel, OG Kush, and Deadhead OG.
- Kanha Love Gummies 100mg with a 2:1:1 ratio of THC, CBG, and THCv.
- El Blunto Azul Infused Mini Blunts 3pk
- PAX TRIP 1g Strawberry Cough Vape
- Almora Strawberry Lemonade 100mg
- Papa & Barkley CBD Rich 5ml Releaf Balm
On top of all the top-shelf products (valued over $200) alone, you’ll also receive two “Golden Tickets,” which get you guaranteed general admission entry to the Stern Grove Festival 2025 show of your choice. It’s a highly coveted item, given that the festival moved to an online lottery ticketing system this year—with passes in high demand. SFGATE cannabis editor Lester Black called the pot-fueled promotion “a very SF loophole.”
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Eli Melrod, founder of Solful, expressed gratitude to the Stern Grove organizers for their willingness to embrace the local cannabis community.
“It amazes me that seven years into legal cannabis sales in California, it’s still hard to get mainstream organizations and events to really celebrate cannabis and work with cannabis companies,” he told GreenState.
Noah Pilchen, director of development for Stern Grove, said in a statement that the partnership was a natural fit.
“Stern Grove Festival has always been about community,” he noted. “We know the kind of economic and social impact a partnership with Stern Grove can have for local businesses, and Solful is a community-rooted company doing things thoughtfully.”
Both Melrod and Pilchen noted that Stern Grove is a smoke-free event, and that no cannabis is sold, distributed, or consumed on-site. The products sold in Solful’s kit are perfect for before and after the show.
“Think of it as a love letter to the music, the magic, and the community that makes the Grove so special,” said Joyce Cenali, COO of Sonoma Hills Farm, when asked about the custom pre-roll the brand created for the festival.
According to the team at Solful, the kits are already garnering a lot of excitement and “flying off the shelves.” So if you want to score a great deal on bud and guaranteed access to see your favorite act, a trip to Solful should be on the agenda.
And while the historic partnership creates a noteworthy groovy opportunity for consumers, for Melrod, the chance to be part of the revitalization of SF is the best part.
“With all this negative narrative about the city, we’ve actually got a lot of good stuff going on. We’re really excited to be part of the resurgence and comeback that’s happening in San Francisco,” Melrod concluded.
