A celebration of all things hemp

Hemp Fest grabbed Moscowites’ attention Saturday with flashy vendors, live music and food.

On a windy day in the scattered shade of East City Park, people came to indulge in the efforts of the festival and celebrate hemp. Vendors, some local and some who came all the way from Seattle, attended the event, showing off their beautiful clothing, jewelry, crystals and glass art. Everyone and their dogs came to see what all the noise was about.

Arlene Falcon, the organizer of Moscow Hemp Fest and owner of Tie Dye Everything, has been hosting the event since 2006. It began in 1996 when a couple of University of Idaho students wanted to gain more attraction to Mom’s Weekend, or what is now known as Parents Weekend. Washington State University’s Mom’s Weekend was a popular event, and UI students wanted a similar response, thus Hemp Fest was born.

Falcon was a vendor from the beginning of the event, selling her tie-dye clothing, and in 2006 talk about the Fest died down. She was inspired to lead the planning when she bumped into the music organizer, who said he had the set list ready, and Falcon went about gathering vendors. She has kept the festival going since then, other than in 2020, when it was canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Stated on its website, Moscow Hemp Fest provides information about the hemp and cannabis movements, advocating for medical marijuana in Idaho.

Falcon said she started organizing the event in hopes of bringing the discussion of legalizing medical marijuana to the political realm.

“(Cannabis is) not just a party of people, music, and, you know, getting high. … It’s not just about that,” Falcon said. “I helped get Boise involved in 2010. Rep. Tom Farrell spoke and opened his eyes about medical marijuana. … So we started getting petitions, (but) unfortunately, futile attempts of changing the law.”

Rather than having the Fest in Washington, Falcon said having it in Moscow creates awareness and destigmatizes the issue, “especially in light of the medical aspects of abusing cannabis,” as well as offering well-needed education.

Music filled the park, and Falcon invited several local artists to perform. John and Nick Brunsfeld, musicians in their band The Pond, are both Moscow natives who played at the event. Strumming original bluegrass songs, it was their first time performing at the Fest, and they were joined by several other acts.

Right next to center stage, Rhonda Berles set up her table for her shop, Mountain Rose Traveling Emporium. At her venue, she sells handmade jewelry, selenite wands and T-shirts, along with backpacks, fanny packs and crystals. Berles has been vending at the Fest for more than 10 years, traveling to Moscow from Priest River for the event. Berles has been a traveling vendor for 30 years, spending her winters in Arizona and coming back to the Pacific Northwest in the spring. Berles said the purpose of the event is to bring “awareness to the medicinal value of the cannabis plant and gathering family and friends.”

The smell of palo santo wafted from three venues away to Bex Gill’s stand. It was Gill’s first year vending at the Fest, selling CBD products for her company, Bath By Bex CBD. Traveling from Spokane, Gill sells her own brand of handmade CBD bath bombs, balms and oils. She got inspiration for her company a couple of years ago when she was suffering from severe back pain and started using CBD products. She wanted to make affordable CBD products of her own to help others relieve pain.

“I’m just here to help people educate people about the difference between hemp and marijuana,” Gill said.

Cannabis has high levels of THC, which is the substance that makes people high, while hemp is packed with CBD, which doesn’t have the same effect. Gill said CBD can help with inflammation, pain relief and skin care, and can even be a mood-lifter.

Gill said Moscow Hemp Fest is important to bring advocacy and education about hemp to Idaho.

Pearce can be reached at epearce@dnews.com or on Twitter @Emily_A_Pearce.