48th Annual Ann Arbor Hash Bash.
The first year where Recreational Adult Use is legal.
Monroe Street Fair Music Festival is always the first Saturday in April
The Monroe Street Fair is first and foremost a music festival. We are proud to present a variety of musical genres and feature extraordinary bands deserving greater attention.
THROUGH THE YEARS
2002
We planned and put the first event together in less than 2 weeks. My good buds Fred & Paulie stepped in and helped finish pulling this event together the morning of the first show. James Cameron invaluably came through with his stone works company’s van, generator and 8’x16′ trailer for us to use as a stage.
We had no instructions or experience. We just did it. The weather was great and we rocked it! Thank you Fred, Paulie & Jim for coming through and helping to make the 1st Free Fest Freedom Festival highly memorable.
We love putting on the show and remain great friends to this day.
2008
The April before Michigan passed the 2008 law that went into effect in 2009. Bigger & better things ahead for patients, caregivers, Hash Bash & the Monroe Street Fair and all things cannabis in general. Heading in the right direction. Let’s party!
2017
We are told that the 2017 Monroe Street Fair attracted 15K – 20K fans, the largest Hash Bash crowd since the late 1990’s.
A BRIEF HISTORY 2012 – 2018
2018
The 17th annual Monroe Street Fair will be held on Saturday, April 7th, 2018 beginning at NOON. Check back on this web site for the latest Monroe Street Fair Hash Bash Festival updates and details. Look for this year’s show to be the most epic stoner event you will be at all year!
2017
The 16th annual Monroe Street Fair was held on Saturday, April 1st, 2017. April Fool’s Day has a unique role in the history of Hash Bash. We encourage you to Google Hash Bash if you have not done so yet.
Dallas and the Covert Productions crew once again provided the stage and sound production. Internationally acclaimed stoner artist TROG of Australia created our sick poster art.
Show sponsors included Depot Town Dispensary of Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor Health Collective, ArborSide, BDT Smoke Shops, Cannabis Legal Group, GOT MEDS, Michigan Norml and MIHEMP.
I opened our rooms window curtain and I was surprised; There was little frost on the cars and grass. This was typical for a Hash Bash day. Cold, temps just above freezing in the morning and warming throughout the day to a high of 57* and cooling off again into the evening. The afternoon weather was sunny with minimal clouds and NO precipitation! NO RAIN – SUNSHINE! A great day! We are told that the 2017 Monroe Street Fair attracted 15K – 20K fans, the largest Hash Bash crowd since the late 1990’s.
Our 2017 show included special guest musical acts Covert Operations, Dixon’s Violin, Leaving Lifted, Lavamoth , Act Casual & Eliza Neals and the Narcotics. We are thankful for our poet Lori Beth Coolidge’s Hash Bash musings. We are thrilled with our special guests Jorge Cervantes & Danny Danko’s appearances and messages. Thank you! Jamie Lowell of 3rd Coast Provisioning Center & MILEGALIZE brought us the most up to date cannabis skinny. Matthew Hoffmann of Hand Grown spoke of Hand Growns Intentions and Marvin Marvin, our ceremonial host helped fire up everyone up with his special and unique delivery of pot messages. Thank you again for all that contributed in special ways helping to make the 16th Annual Monroe Street Fair the best to date!
2016
The 15th annual Monroe Street Fair was held on Saturday, April 2nd, 2016. The Covert Productions crew put up the shows sound system and prepared for its production early Saturday morning. Set up went smooth and the DJ was on by 11:00am and the first band went on shortly after noon.
Internationally acclaimed stoner artist TROG of Australia created our sick poster art for the 3rd year in a row. He also created a new Tommy Chong Monroe Street Fair Hash Bash poster for the 2nd year in a row!
Show sponsors include Show sponsors include Depot Town Dispensary of Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor Health Collective, ArborSide, Cannabis Legal Group, BDT Smoke Shops, Michigan Norml and MILEGALIZE.
This year was extra special as America’s favorite pot hero Tommy Chong and his new cannabis brand Chong’s Choice came to and set up at the fair. They had all kinds of cool merch from t – shirts to vaporizers to papers and more. There was plenty of Cheech & Chong memorabilia. The weather was awesome and tommy stayed to 7:15 and signed them all. The show also featured special guests Mugen Hoso, a punk band from Tokyo Japan.
Weather started out colder than usual. We had great sunshine and blue skies til about 1:30 pm, then the weather took on a whole new personality. It was wet, blustery and mysterious at times throughout the afternoon. The sun returned around 7pm, just as the site clean-up was finishing. This was a cold, mostly freezing day, rainy, snowy and foggy with temperatures in the high thirties.
Our 2015 show included musical performances by Kung Foo Lovers, Bison Machine, Black Note Graffiti & Bronze Mambas.
2 of the most knowledgeable experts on cannabis laws and business, Rick Thompson of the Compassion Chronicles, and Jamie Lowell of 3rd Coast Provisioning Center & MILEGALIZE brought us the most up to date cannabis law reform skinny.
Amelia Neibel of BDT Smoke Shops with messages of head shop events and fun and Marvin Marvin, our ceremonial host, all contributed in special ways helping to make the 15th Annual Monroe Street Fair the best to date!
Monroe Street Fair 2015
The 14th annual Monroe Street Fair will be held on Saturday, April 4th, 2015 beginning at 12 NOON and Dallas and the Covert Productions crew once again provided the stage and sound production. Internationally acclaimed stoner artist TROG of Australia created our sick poster art. Show sponsors included Depot Town Dispensary of Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor Health Collective, ArborSide, BDT Smoke Shops, Cannabis Legal Group, Grow Show, Death 2 Reggies and Michigan Norml. This year was another great show!
This year was extra special as America’s favorite pot hero Tommy Chong and his new cannabis brand Chong’s Choice came to and set up at the fair. They had all kinds of cool merch from t – shirts to vaporizers to papers and more. There was plenty of Cheech & Chong memorabilia. The weather was awesome and tommy stayed to 7:15 and signed them all.
The day was perfect. Weather started out colder than usual. I opened our rooms window curtain and I was not surprised with the frost on the cars and grass. This was typical for a Hash Bash day. Cold, often freezing when I wake up and warming throughout the day to an average of 55* in the afternoon and cooling off again into the weekend. The afternoon weather was sunny with minimal clouds and NO precipitation! NO RAIN – SUNSHINE!
Our 2015 show included special guest acts Chief Greenbud of Nashville, Tennessee; Baoku from Cincinnati, Ohio; The Howling Loud from right here in Ann Arbor, Michigan; Traveling, Broke and Out of Gas, traveling broke and out of gas to Ann Arbor from Lafayette, Indiana ; Detroit’s own heavy stoner band Bison Machine and local area favorite Tetra of Ypsilanti, Michigan
We laughed; Comedians Jeremy Shipley of Detroit, Mi. & Lauren Booza And Dj Snacksalot had the clever & funny stuff throughout the day. Poets Lori Beth Coolidge and Chris Collins brought stories, thoughtful musings and commentary of current events.
2 of the most knowledgeable experts on cannabis laws and business, Rick Thompson of the Compassion Chronicles, and Jamie Lowell of 3rd Coast Provisioning Center & MILEGALIZE brought us the most up to date cannabis skinny.
Amelia Neibel of BDT Smoke Shops with messages of head shop events and fun and Marvin Marvin, our ceremonial host, all contributed in special ways helping to make the 14th Annual Monroe Street Fair the best to date!
Monroe Street Fair 2014
The 13th annual Monroe Street Fair will be held on Saturday, April 5th, 2014 beginning at 12 NOON. Dallas and the Covert Productions crew will once again provide the stage and sound production. Internationally acclaimed stoner artist TROG of Australia created our sick poster art.
Show sponsors include Depot Town Provisioning Center of Ypsilanti, Ann Arbor Health Collective, ArborSide, BDT Smoke Shops, Cannabis Counsel, MediSwipe, Michigan Norml and MIHEMP.
This year looks to be another great show with bands representing Michigan from Ann Arbor, Flint, Fraser, Detroit, Wayne, and Kalamazoo. New this year is a number of bands from around the country.
Michigan bands from Ann Arbor, Kalamazoo, Detroit, Flint and Fraser are represented and new this year a wider sampling of artists from around the country including Boston Massachusetts, Los Angeles, California, Las Vegas, Nevada, St. Louis, Missouri, Nashville, Tennessee, Cincinnati, Ohio, and Memphis, Tennessee. Sal has booked an incredible show this year. The line-up includes: Chief Greenbud – Nashville, Tennessee, Lil Wyte – Memphis, Tennessee, Bizarre – Detroit, Michigan, I.L.O. – Detroit, Michigan, Covert – Flint, Michigan, Jeremy Shipley – Roseville, Michigan, Tony Klee , Michigan, Rufi0 – Detroit, Michigan, Skinny Pigeons, Boston, Massachusetts, DRIX, Los Angeles, California, Baoku & The Image Afro-beat Band, Cincinnati, Ohio, Infatuations, Detroit, Michigan, Mt. Thelonious, St. Louis, Missouri, Black Note Graffitti, Ann Arbor, MI and Dan Diamond, Las Vegas, Nevada.
Monroe Street Fair 2013
The 12th annual Monroe Street Fair was held on Saturday, April 6th, 2013. Dallas and the Covert Productions crew once again did a stellar job providing the stage and sound production. Internationally acclaimed stoner artist TROG of Australia created our sick poster art. The day started out a little chilly (30 degrees) and the temperature rose throughout the day to a high near 60 degrees. The day was partly sunny and we had zero precipitation.
The show fired up at about 11:00am with a drum circle led by local Native American Indians joined by festival goers and launched into high gear with performances by, in no particular order, Lil’ Wyte, Chief Greenbud, King Jazzy, Down Home, Bizarre from D-12, I.L.O. (I Live Once), Dan Diamond, 5th Wall Concept, Austin Scott, Dixon’s Violin, and Thumb’s Up! The show featured a comedy show by Zak and what Army, the comedy of Jeremy Shipley, and poetry of Lori Beth Coolidge. This year’s guest speakers include, Keith Stroup, Esq. (NORML Founder), Dan Skye (Executive Editor – High Times Magazine), Ed Rosenthal (Horticulturist, Author, Publisher, Marijuana advocate), Mathew Abel, Esq. (Executive Director at Michigan NORML), Christeen Landino (Executive Board at Michigan NORML), Dr. Mike Whitty (Dr. Detroit – Univ. of San Francisco, Univ. of Detroit), Jamie Lowell (3rd Coast Compassion Center) and Marvin Marvin, (Hemp Hemp Hooray!) (Party Party) This was Sal’s second year booking the show and we had our most diverse line up since the earliest days of the fair. Show sponsors included Bhang Chocolates, Depot Town Dispensary, Ann Arbor Health Collective, ArborSide, BDT Smoke Shops, Cannabis Counsel, MediSwipe, Michigan Norml and MIHEMP.
2012
The 11th annual Monroe Street Fair was held on Saturday, April 7th, 2012. The event became known as the Monroe Street Fair Hash Bash Festival by basically popular demand due to the associations of the Hash Bash, a festival and a street fair by just about everyone who cares. The temperature started out in the mid twenties but warmed up to about fifty degrees by the time the show started. There was very little precipitation on this sunny day. The rain came and went before it could really hassle anyone’s good time. The crowd continued to grow as an estimated 10 to 15 thousand people came through that day. Our poster was created by Desiree of Detroit, Michigan. The show kicked off with a Drum Circle, followed by Chief Greenbud, SHOTGUN SOUL, I.L.O., Lil Wyte, Bizarre/King Gordy, Covert, Dragon Wagon, Fluid Impulse and GLOWB. Show speakers included Mathew Able and Brandy Zink. We introduced the side walk row section of the fair to accommodate the demand for vending. We now had about 24 vendors with many of them returning from last year. Sal Aiello became our show’s first music director this year and booked an incredible show this year. Sal also handles all responsibility related to the day of the show production.
Monroe Street Fair 2011
The 10th annual Monroe Street Fair was held on Saturday, April 2nd, 2011. We had average temperatures with highs in the fifties. It was a mostly sunny day with zero precipitation. The crowd was huge this year with the total attendance in the 10 – 15 thousand range. We had 19 vendors this year. Our show poster was created by Rudolf P. The show kicked off with a Drum Circle, followed by smokin’ sets by Covert, Rootstand, Jimkata, Dr Dwyer, King Jazzy and The Endaze. Kotar booked the show and managed the stage production.
Monroe Street Fair 2010
The 9th annual Monroe Street Fair was held on Saturday, April 3rd, 2010. Our poster was created by Rudolf P. of Detroit, Michigan. We had the best weather in the history of the fair. Mid seventies, sunny, a little misty precipitation for about ten minutes; It was a beautiful day! We had estimated crowds of 8 – 12 thousand come through that day. We rented the same stage as last year. Dallas and the Covert Productions crew provided the stage and sound production. The show featured The Booby Scooter, Covert Operations, Rootstand, The Endaze and Glowb. Our first ever major sponsor helped bring this growing show to Ann Arbor’s Hash Bash partiers. Kotar of Flint, Michigan booked the show and managed the stage production.
Monroe Street Fair 2009
The 8th annual Monroe Street Fair was held on Saturday, April 4th, 2009. It sure seems like the days always start in the mid thirties, but rise throughout the day. This year was sunny, No precipitation with highs in the mid fifty’s. This was our best year yet. We rented a covered 16 foot by 32 foot stage from the largest staging company in Michigan. We now use this stage every year. Eight to ten thousand fans, enthusiasts and aficionados showed up for a great day of celebration and partying. Our poster this year was created by Kotar of Flint, Michigan. Glowb, Ras Paka Lolo, October Babies and Brando & Friends. Kotar booked the show and managed the stage production.
Monroe Street Fair 2008
The 7th annual Monroe Street Fair was held on Saturday, April 6th, 2008. The weather once again started out in the mid thirties, but this year Dallas and the Covert Productions crew did a stellar job providing the stage and sound production. Artist Nix of Detroit, Michigan created our festival poster art. The day started out a little chilly (30 degrees) but very sunny and the temperature rose throughout the day to a high near 60 degrees. The day was partly sunny and we had zero precipitation. Ground Score, Burn’in Man, Covert Operations and Glowb, with the return of special guest John Sinclair, provided all the kick ass jams we could handle. Kotar of Flint, Michigan booked the show and managed the stage production. Attendance was great, as we had our biggest year to date with about 7,500 people stopping by.
Monroe Street Fair 2007
The 6th annual Monroe Street Fair was held on Saturday, April 7th, 2007. Oak Hill Productions provided the stage and sound production this year, and Nix created our awesome poster art. It was a colder day with temperatures in the high thirties and a little precipitation. It seems like about 5 – 15 minutes of rain has been showing up occasionally just to bother us a bit. But most are not bothered by it as all are in a festive mood and partying.
The 6th annual fair was a special one. We had a very special guest with David Arquette stopping by to promote his movie, The Tripper. David hung out most of the day, signing autographs, and mingling with the crowd. Thanks for stopping by David!
Besides David stopping by, the show rocked! We started off with Jam Samich that filled all our hungry lunch time belly’s. Their awesome sounds, and filling jams was more than enough to handle those munchies. Treetown Underground took over after that, with their roots music, blu-grass, gypsi-jazz, & Reggae. These guys are just a hoot to watch and are sure to get your dancing shoes grooving. Glowb took the stage after that with their dynamic fusion of diverse genre music. Glowb is a staple of the Monroe Street Fair and these guys never disappoint. The Mac Podz finished it all out with their Disco be-bop, strong soul, and R&B influence. This was the perfect way to finish out another great year in Ann Arbor.
All the vendors, once again, had a great day selling many cool items. All these vendors sell unique items, from t shirts to hemp clothing and accessories, to hemp soda to pipes and smoking accessories. Add to that various street peddlers and testing companies, student groups, medical provisioning centers, politicians, MINORML and MIHEMP and we have variety that has become a staple of the Monroe Street Fair. Thank you!
Monroe Street Fair 2006
The 5th annual Monroe Street Fair was held on Saturday, April 1st, 2006. Oak Hill Productions provided the stage and sound production this year, and Nix and EJF created our awesome poster art. The weather treated us rather nicely this year with no precipitation, and about 4,000 people showing up throughout the day. We were back to the Show Mobile from the City of Wyandotte with the Ragbirds opening the show with their fresh blend of world music, followed by the high energy grooves of Ground Score. Amy Heard took the stage at 3:30pm with her harmonic acoustic set and Glowb brought it all home with their dynamic fusion of diverse genre music. All sixteen vendors had a successful day with most of the vendors returning from last year. The vendors continued to support the show and they were all very happy with the event. Most said they wanted to return in 2007.
Monroe Street Fair 2005
The 4th annual Monroe Street Fair was held on Saturday, April 2nd, 2005. The weather started out at 37 degrees and rose to about 45 degrees. Another cold year with a little precipitation, but attendance continued to rise as about 3,500 people came through. We had 16 vendors with most back from the previous year. A platform stage was used again, only this year, Light Show Bob handled sound and he built scaffolding around and over the stage. The event featured musical guests John Sinclair with Glowb, Moon Madness, the Salt Miners, and Troubleman. The fair had fifteen vendors. The fair’s poster art was created by Mark Stopke of the Lucky Monkey Tattoo Parlour. Michigan NORML continued their outstanding support of the fair as a cornerstone of the event.
Monroe Street Fair 2004
The event was held on Saturday, April 3rd, 2004. We had our best year so far. We had advance promotion of the event distributing 200 posters and 5000 post cards. The weather once again started out a little cold and we had a little precipitation that day. Attendance was stronger this year as about 2,500 people came through during the day. This year we rented a platform stage. The show featured musical guests John Sinclair with Glowb, Muruga and the Ceremonial Global Village Band, Troubleman, Soot, and RIB. The fair had fourteen vendors showcasing a variety of crafts and wares. The fair’s poster art was created by Mark Stopke of the Lucky Monkey Tattoo Parlour. Special guest speaker Jack Herer was fired up as he addressed the crowd, Jack’s mission for all of us is: “Don’t stop till all pot prisoners are free”.
Monroe St. FREE Freedom Festival 2003
The event was held on Saturday, April 5th, 2003 and was named the FREE FEST. We rented the Show Mobile from the City of Wyandotte and it was a great improvement over last year’s trailer stage. The temperature started out a little cold and we had our first rain and snow (.04 inches) and cloudy day. It wasn’t necessarily wet all day, but we sure could have done without the light precipitation and cold weather. The crowd wasn’t that big, with maybe a thousand people coming though that day. The fair featured musical guests John Sinclair with GLOWB, SOOT, Last Days, Buddha Fulla Rymez, Bowlscraper, Hype Engine, and RIB. The fair’s poster art was created and printed by Jah Lion Studios
Monroe St. FREE Freedom Fest 2002
The event was held on Saturday, April 6th, 2002. The new event organizers obtained the event’s first ever special event permit, enabling the block party to grow into a fair and festival featuring amplified music exempt from the city noise ordinance along with vending. We had great attendance for the first fair as the weather was a little chilly (24 degrees when we woke up, and rising into the low 40’s as the festival got under way) but the sky was very sunny and the day was dry and beautiful. The fairs stage was a flat trailer attached to a cargo van and the show featured musical guests The Brothers Groove, Face, RIB and Moon Maddness, and special guest Muruga. There was not a festival poster in 2002 as we only had 2 weeks to put it all together. We made flyers instead. If anyone has one of those FREE FEST flyers, please let us know so we can get a copy of it.
