April 20th is right around the corner, and guess what? Hippie Hill’s official 4/20 party has been canceled. Again. For the second year running, San Francisco Rec and Parks has decided that stoners’ dreams don’t come true, but they’re happy to serve up a side of volleyball and kickball instead. I mean, who needs a 20,000-strong gathering of peace and love when you can have a solid game of beach sports, right?

Last year, even with the big “cancellation” stamp all over it, around 5,000 delighted herb enthusiasts showed up. They didn’t get the memo that the planned festivities were off. Instead, they opted to revel in a cloud of euphoria right where they belonged. Meanwhile, the picnic area on Robin Williams Meadow could have been mistaken for a ghost town. Isn’t it heavenly to watch the hilarity unfold?

Fast forward to this year: the San Francisco Rec and Parks department is at it again. They’re cheerily touting their event, ‘Peace, Love & Volo Field Day’, which involves volleyball and kickball tournaments in Robin Williams Meadow, as if we all forgot the magic of Hippie Hill. Meanwhile, over on the 4/20 Hippie Hill website? Crickets. You’d think they’d acknowledge the cancelation or at least throw some virtual confetti. Nope.

A spokesperson from SF Rec and Parks spilled the beans, citing financial challenges in the cannabis industry and that little thing called city budget cuts as reasons for the cancellation. Sounds like a classic case of the city getting in the way of our good vibes. How surprising, huh?

But fear not! While blurry memories of Hippie Hill’s glory days might fade, there are still other cannabis-fueled happenings worthy of your high holiday celebrations. The annual Hunky Jesus and Foxy Mary Contest will grace Dolores Park with its presence, and there will even be a smaller smoke-out around 4:20 p.m. Because, let’s face it, who doesn’t need a wild crucifixion-themed drag show right before lighting up?

Plus, swing by Golden Gate Park for the Crucial Reggae Sunday jam session kicking off at 4:20 p.m. It sounds much cooler than chasing a volleyball, doesn’t it?

In short, if you do find yourself at Hippie Hill this April 20th, it might still be lit, even without a formal designation. Just expect more grass, less grass volleying. Remember: sometimes the best parties are the ones that weren’t even on the calendar.

So, pre-game with some stoner buddies and see for yourself. Because let’s be honest, nothing can extinguish the good vibes of a 4/20 celebration… cancellation be damned.