The Annual 4-20 Gathering - 20th April 2015

[Lemming]

Here we go then. We still seem to be on air so here's the official announcement:

Monday 20th April 2015 is Four-Twenty Day!

This will be the 10th Annual Gathering of specifically ACD Forum members in Amsterdam. It might also be the last.

There are already some great threads running on this, such as:

420 2015, who's going?

ACD Cup 420 2015

Let's get this party started !!!

Five people are already listed on FlyByNite's Who's in Town and many more have said they're expecting to be there including honourable veterans of many Gatherings like AzLaker, Hestia, Matty, Stuart, ftCarer and more. I'll compile a full list very soon. I think this is gonna be a good one!

Why 4-20?

The origins of 4-20 are the stuff of legends and discussed elsewhere on this forum.
Suffice to say it's a time, 4:20, as in twenty past four, now firmly associated with marijuana, especially in America.
In American shorthand, the 20th of April (20/04/14 in Europe) is 04/20/14, so it's 4-20 Day!
The place to be is de Kuil coffeeshop (420 café) at 4:20pm on this auspicious day.

(Wikipedia: 420, 4:20 or 4/20 (pronounced four-twenty) refers to consumption of cannabis and, by extension, a way to identify oneself with cannabis subculture.
The notable day is April 20.)

History of the 4-20 Gathering

2005
Soon after the ACD sprouted a forum in March 2005, Old Hippie Dave posted details of meets he'd arranged around 20th April 2005.
It seems that he and others on the Channels forum had been celebrating 420 day in Amsterdam for a few years.
After the event he posted this: Old Hippie Dave's video of 4/20 2005.

2006
In 2006 AzLaker helped to organise a band of ACDers to join the Channelites in de Kuil coffeeshop (420 cafe) on 20 April 2006.
The following day Old Hippie Dave held a "Vapo Party" in Amnesia.
Reports: Old Hippie Dave's video, OHD live report part 1 and part 2, Lafe live, Lemming, AzLaker part 1, part 2 and part 3, Zunkii, Bluelaru, BlueBerry.

2007
2007 was a big gathering with several forums represented. There's loads of pics in circulation of some of those epic sessions.
Travelogues: Lemming part 1, part 2, part 3, Twitch part 1, part 2, cattales1960, Mazdog, back2thedam (Haarlem crawl), Islandgurl part 1, part 2.

2008
Planning for the 2008 gathering was, at least as far as this forum was concerned, interrupted by it being off-air for months.
Fortunately Channels was still there and, especially, VDF stepped in and kept everyone in touch.
Travelogues: Lemming, Twitch, Bhang Buddie, SilentlyScreaming.

2009
By far our biggest gathering yet. We pretty much took over the 420 coffeeshop for half an hour or so.
Live reports were posted in Travelogues by AzLaker, Cattales1960, Couch, Fishinbob, Hestia, Lemming, WolfDangler and Worsall.
Followed by reports from Boner, Chilly1952, Couch, FenixNYC, Gapie, Hestia’s epic account days 1-8, days 9 & 10, day 11, day 12, day 13, day 14 (20th April) and day 15, Kermit, Lampshade, Lemming, LiquidSwords, PirateRaff, SoulRider and Twichaldinho.

2010
Some Icelandic volcano with an utterly unpronounceable name blew up and grounded all air traffic in Europe just before 4-20.
Nevertheless, a hard core of ACD members hit town in style.

Some members from the USA arrived just before the volcano went off and some determined people from the UK managed to get there by road, rail and ferry.
They were joined by Amsterdam resident members and, between them, they even managed to bring about the first ever ACD competition for best coffeeshop.

All of the members of the forum chose a shortlist of coffeeshops for our intrepid reporters to check out and give a rating to.
All of those members who made it then toured the shops and chose a winner.
We named our accolade the "Hestia" (well, if the American academy of movies can call theirs "Oscar" then why not?).
You can read all about it in the accounts below but I can tell you that Green Place won.

Travelogues: Hestia 420 Trip Hestia, Combined, 420 Trip Hestia First Installment, 420 Trip Hestia 2nd Installment, 420 Trip Hestia 3rd Installment and 420 Trip Hestia; Islandgurl 4/20 Begins... the Eruption.; Gapie Live in NES 420; Valo Day 1 - Monday 19th April 2010 and Day 2 - Tuesday 20th April 2010; Angry Pirate Obscurerd by clouds, a latecomers tale...; Treetop Treetop's 420 boat infested trip so far...; Lem's 4-20 Verdict; Cisco Ciscos Volcano Vacation.

2011
Of banners and boats, cups and cakes. Volcanoes went off all over Amsterdam but, fortunately, not in Iceland.
The Cup went to Basjoe and a good time was had by all. See these accounts:

08-420 08-420s 420 in Amsterdam; Arsonist What? You left BEFORE 420?!; AzLaker Finally......a trip report; Camman Nine days of smoke . . .
Chillers2 chillers 2's LATE 420 trip...; Cisco Cisco's S Sour Dude !!?! 420 Report; Colina ACD 420 boat trip 2011; FlyByNite And so the adventure begins.; Ftcarer 18-22/4/11
Gapie live @ nes at 18 april 2011; Hestia Hestia; Hulldj Where did the last 12 weeks go?? my 420 trip; Kermit Froggie style; Lafe Quick 420 report; Lemming 4-20 Lem Live; Lemming Lemming's 4-20 Recollections and Pictures; MK101 My 420; Philly-Rich Philly's 420 recap.; Rasa Rasa's "Burning Down the Dam!"; Steven 420 here I come....; Stuart1976 18th -21st april..; Trad Trad's April Visit; Uncle Ron The Annual 4-20 Gathering - 20th April 2011.

2012
A few travelogues from 2012

Lemming 4-20 Gathering 2012 in pictures and 4-20 2012 LIVE!
FlyByNite Amsterdam Adventure 2012 Trip Report
Smirks Passengers on flight 420 to Amsterdam, proceed to gate G13

2013

Lemming: "Pics 17th April", "Pics 18th April", "Pics 19th April", "Pics 20th April", "Pics 21st April", "Pics 22nd April", "4-20 Live!", "4-20 Menus"
Treetop: "4/20 2013 Treetop style"
Willjay: "willjay & Robyn's 420 adventure"
Ftcarer: "ft & Wifeys 420"
Jimi62471: "My trip was awesome!!!"
Stuart1976: "2013..420"
Nimrod: "Live report buried within a long thread"
Jwall162: "My return to the 'Dam 19th-28th April. 2013"
Bigguy: "Lost not the first"
Hasj: "204"

2014

A few travelogues from last year. Let me know if I've missed yours.

Lemming: "Lemming's Traditional Pictorial Travelogue of 4-20 2014" and "420 Live"
Banshee Beat: "Banshee Beat trip report #2: 18/04 - 22/04"
FtCarer: "ft n 1st born's 420"
DRA: "Going For the Green in 2014: The Progress"
Jack Ganja: "What I Can Remember of April"

2015

We'll be there. Will you?
If so, please reply to this topic and post your dates here and I'll put you on the list.
It's completely free. You just have to make your way to Amsterdam and join us for one of the coffeeshop crawls that we'll be posting details about nearer the time.

See you there!


Many related subjects to discuss including whether 420 will be open at 4:20, a new base to replace the Nes, will we fail to do a boat trip again and so on. We'll come back to them.

[ftcarer]

love seeing this thread pop up

Right let's get the t&t's posted

18/04/15 12:00 @ Voyagers for a 12:30ish departure for Haarlem(WW,Join Us,Birdys)
20/4/15 ( ) 15:00 @ Prix d'Ami , memorial smoke to cattales

[gapie]

try to be there ftcarer

[treetop]

please put me down for April 16-25 FBN

[ftcarer]

Got another 1

Westish crawl , 19/04/15 meet at 12:30 @ CS137 then crawl past , Chapiteau, De Republiek, Catch 33, 't Keteltje, Bronx, Spirit

Lemming/FBN add away

[Lemming]

I'm catching up slowly Here's a first attempt at a list of people so far:

Arsonist "I'm in." (posted: 12 Dec 2014)
AzLaker "I'm in " (posted: 23 Aug 2014)
Bishy69 "19th - 22nd" (posted: 22 Nov 2014)
Danny211204 "that's a definite yes from me!! " (posted: 21 Aug 2014)
Djsplatmat "yes " (posted: 19 Aug 2014)
Ftcarer and 1st Born "18-21/04/15" (posted: 15 Nov 2014)
Gapie "I live here" (posted: 20 Aug 2014)
Hestia "I think i'm gonna make the BIG TEN this year. Not sure of the dates yet." (posted: 03 Oct 2014)
Kermit "I will be in for this, and bringing a few friends " (posted: 05 Sep 2014)
liquidSwords "Me.and 5 mates Sunday 19th til Wednesday 22nd" (posted: 13 Dec 2014)
Macky "Third 420 in a row in dam 19 to 22" (posted: 01 Sep 2014)
Madmaxxx "18th till the evening of the 20th" (posted: 19 Jan 2015)
Miser "I'll be making the trip up from Maastricht" (posted: 17 Dec 2014)
Occasional Bowl "Still no dates as yet but I am planning on going." (posted: 23 Nov 2014)
Stuart1976 "I'm in" (posted: 20 Aug 2014)
Spidergawd "Yes I was planning on this one, but too early for dates yet. " (posted: 22 Nov 2014)
Trashcanman "if money permits I'll return for 420 next year " (posted: 03 Oct 2014)
Treetop "April 16-25" (posted: 19 Jan 2015)

[FlyByNite]

please put me down for April 16-25 FBN

Posted

Enjoy
FlyByNite

[FlyByNite]

Right let's get the t&t's posted

18/04/15 12:00 @ Voyagers for a 12:30ish departure for Haarlem(WW,Join Us,Birdys)

20/4/15 ( ) 15:00 @ Prix d'Ami , memorial smoke to cattales

Westish crawl , 19/04/15 meet at 12:30 @ CS137 then crawl past , Chapiteau, De Republiek, Catch 33, 't Keteltje, Bronx, Spirit

Posted on Whos In Town.

Enjoy
FlyByNite

[Smirks]

Fuck it, why not...

[ftcarer]

Fuck it, why not...

we will def be having a smoke mate

[Bob2]

toke&talk Paradox.. 19th 4:20pm utopia.. 18th 9:00pm

[danny211204]

cant bloody wait.

[FlyByNite]

toke&talk Paradox.. 19th 4:20pm utopia.. 18th 9:00pm

Posted on Whos In Town.

Enjoy
FlyByNite

[Lemming]

Countdown launched! (At least for those of us on the standard theme. If you're using the grey theme you won't see it.)

[Lemming]

It's only January and we've already got events proposed! I've got some more catching up to do.