The world-famous Emerald Cup is back this year, with a twist. It’s called Emerald Cup, Harvest Ball. It’s everything you might expect if you have been to the Emerald Cup in recent years past, only more community driven than ever before. We had a chance to talk with the founder of this highly respected event and competition, Tim Blake and his daughter Taylor Blake who is co-producer of The Emerald Cup. We wanted to learn what is new this year and how they are bringing the community together on a number of levels. But first, here’s where we left off after 2019’s Emerald Cup.
No physical cup during Covid-19 Lockdowns
There was no in person EC in December of 2020 due to Covid-19. At that time, all the restrictions that were being considered for events or even small gatherings of people were off limits. The annual gathering of sun grown, mixed light, and indoor cultivators (originally it was strictly a sun-grown competition) was held back, but the competition carried on in the early months of 2020. At a time when we all felt the world was shutting down, there were Cannabis farmers that still wanted to compete in the most respected Cannabis competition in the world.
(Above: Past year’s entry display.)
Those entries went through the same process as years past, only getting the samples to judges was definitely trickier. The typical gathering of judges towards the end of judging was difficult to consider as well. Overall, the competition came through with winners in all categories. Then came the daunting task of how to get the community together to witness the awards being announced. Leave it to the creative team of Tim and his production team to whip together a virtual walk in the woods complete with guests and a full breakdown of the winners. The Emerald Cup competition awards ceremony was strictly virtual and available to view live on a platform app called SCTV (Social Club TV). Amazingly, it was pretty good considering how we all had to learn to transition to live virtual meetings and conferences in 2020.
This year’s Harvest Ball is going to be LIT!
This year the grand celebration of California’s Cannabis is called Emerald Cup Harvest Ball and it will take place in Santa Rosa, California on December 11th & 12th at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds. Once again, the Cannabis community and industry comes together to celebrate this year’s harvest, connect, share, and educate on the state of Cannabis in California for everyone. The Emerald Cup brings people back together once again with celebration, education, music, and much more.
Here’s some of the things to look forward to seeing, hearing and of course smelling and experiencing.
(Click through above, thanks You Tube for their age restrictive rating on this video above.)
The Emerald Cup Competition begins!
Day one of Harvest Ball is the first day of collecting entries for this year’s Emerald Cup Awards competition. Interested in entering? Click here. EC will accept entries through December and we’re told that at some point in January the cut off will happen and then it’s off to the races through EC’s respected judging to begin. To learn more about the judging process, check this out.
(above: this year and former speakers from 2019’s Emerald Cup Sessions, this was a panel of women discussing “Women in the Cannabis industry”)
Advocacy, Activism, and Education is a big part of The Emerald Cup experience- The Emerald Cup Sessions
This dynamic speaker series goes on throughout the weekend. They are thought provoking, inspiring and daring! This year’s line up of speakers and sessions are fired up and smokin topics like:
“The Hottest Topics in Genetics”
“Sexual Healing: Cannabis Under the Covers”
“The New Wave of Psychedelics Is Here”
“Eat, Drink and Be Merry. Food, Beverages & Cannabis Hospitality”
“Creating Real Impact: Empowering Social Equity Operators in the Cannabis Industry” “Hip Hop & the War on Drugs”
“Changing Landscape: Securing the Future of Small Farms”
“ECHB Joint Rolling Contest”
Behind the Scenes: The Emerald Cup Judging Experience”
“The Mushroom Movement: Adaptogenic Mushrooms and Craft Products”
“What’s Next for Cannabis Taxes?”
“Rehabilitating Our Ecosystem: Regenerative Agriculture Principles and Practices”
It’s a Hit List of Cannapolitan Heroes that are part of the Emerald Cup sessions!
Speakers include our Cannapolitan friend “Cannasexual” Ashley Manta, you might remember our encounter, here’s the link. Also, the daring and seductive Lizzy Jeff. These ladies along with Buck Angel (producer of transgender male sexual wellness products, films, motivational speaker, human rights activist and entrepreneur) will be speaking at the Emerald Cup session “Sexual Healing: Cannabis Under the Covers”.
Experts in their field also include; the legendary activist and breeder, Todd McCormick. Omar Figueroa, Attorney. Jesse Dodd, Co-Creator of the Regenerative Cannabis Awards. Regenerative farming experts: Chrystal Ortiz, FulSol Farms; Jesce Horton, LOWD; Tina Gordon, Moonmade Farms. So many to mention, but here’s a look at the poster with the line-up for all.
So Much to See, Hear, Smell, and Smoke at Harvest Ball!
The Emerald Cup Harvest Ball will have the same welcoming, grassroots vibe from past Emerald Cup events including:
Two stages of artists and bands performing throughout the weekend.
Delicious health-conscious food and beverage vendors, indoor and outdoor consumption lounges
VIP experiences at the Flamingo Resort, Santa Rosa
A full spectrum marketplace providing full access to this Fall’s fresh Cannabis harvest. A wide array of top-shelf genetics, an unrivaled collection of heritage and new-gen products, and face-to-face interaction with the folks behind the most highly sought-after Cannabis brands in California.
This year’s music acts are FUN and will inspire you to move to the groove.
BIG WILD, Trevor Hall, Mr. Carmack, HIRIE, Kurupt & Friends (featuring Kurupt, Masta Killa, Cappadonna, Prodigal Sun and DJ Cell performance, Sudan Archives, Dirtwire, Dumpstaphunk, Bumpin Uglies, Monophonics, Mendo Dope, Shook Twins, 432, A Hundred Drums, Sidecar Tommy, SOOHAN, SOL Development, Object Heavy, Random Rab, Free Creatures, Cannaba55, Lacy Redhead, DJ Guidance, DJ Rundat
The line-up is certainly diverse and electric with something for everyone to get excited about at this year’s Emerald Cup Harvest Ball. This celebration opens the door to the competition that begins another epic Emerald Cup Awards celebration. The world-famous Emerald Cup Awards event will be presented months later with a huge celebration and more in Southern California mid-year 2022.
This is a unique approach to an event that has become larger and larger each year with the best California farmers being celebrated and appreciated by the tens of thousands that attend each year. 
This year is even more meaningful for small farmers, market prices have plummeted to unreasonable lows that are making it difficult for these farms to survive. Small family farms are the legacy of California Cannabis culture and community.
Tim Blake and his team understand this best and have created a special opportunity for small farmers take part in the Emerald Cup marketplace at no cost. Standing side-by-side with the main marketplace, the organizers of the Emerald Cup and Harvest Ball along with the Small Farms Council draw special attention to small farms that make the backbone of their community introducing the first ever Craft Cannabis Marketplace located in the Hall of Flowers area.
Harvest Ball 2021’s Craft Cannabis Marketplace Exhibitors include
Arcanna Flowers, Bella Farms, Bird Valley Organics, Briceland Forest Farm, Bud Farm, Farm Cut, Flower Lady Farms, Flying Tiger Farm, Frogville Farms, Higher Heights, Lovingly & Legally, Magic Meadow Farm’s, Mendocino Family Farm, Mendocino Producers Guild, Native Humboldt Farms, Neukom Family Farm, Noble Gardens, OG Gardens, Redwood Roots Distribution, River Txai Farms, Sierra Sungrown Co-op, Sol Spirit Farm, Sovereign 707, Spring Creek Farm, Sunnabis: Humboldt’s Full Sun Farms, Sweet Creek Farm, Trinity Alps Farms (Hash and Flowers), WAMM Phytotherapies Inc.,Whitethorn Valley Farm, Woodnote Farms and Yuba River Organics.
These small and amazing farms produce some of the very best Cannabis in California.
Craft Cannabis is an art and is valued throughout the community. This addition of dozens of booths being able to present their Cannabis wonderments will be a great help during the winter months ahead. Remember, the outdoor Cannabis season in Northern California has harvest only once a year. We love small farms; you will be amazed and be in awe of what these farmers produce! Get ready!
If that wasn’t enough, check out the list of amazing Cannabis companies will be on hand to show off their goods and sales for all those over 21 at all marketplaces. Just think of the holiday gifts you can bring home to friends and family! You will be the hero to all your family and friends.
Harvest Ball 2021’s Marketplace Exhibitors include:
Abscent Design, Agricova, Alien Labs, Andretti Cannabis Co, Backroads Distribution, BB Organics, BEAR Labs, bio365, Bulger Papers, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, California Style, Calyx Brands, Cannabistry, CannaTrust, Capulator, Cherry Kola, Connected, Cutting Edge Solutions, Dark Heart Nursery, Deep Green Genetics, Doja Park, Dungeons Vault Genetics, Dunkees, DYNOMYCO, Earth Juice, Eli’s Dyes, Envirocann, Eteros, Good Earth Organics, Good Tree, Grauling Research, Incorporated, Heritage Mendocino, High Art Studios, HIGH DESERT SPORES, High Rise Law, Humidi.co, Lempire Farmaseed, Key to Life Supply, LTB Enterprises, Mama P’s Wholesome Grinding Co., Manzanita Naturals, Mattole River studios, MJ Wear, Monterey Kush Co., Organics Alive, Pacific Cultivation, Purple City Genetics, Rage Nation, Rad Source, Ras Boss, RAW Rolling Papers, Redwood Roots Family, Rosin Tech Labs, Scared Steez, Sasquatch Soil Company, Shield N Seal, Sun+Earth Certified, TERPHOGZ, The Fireplace, The Flavor Co., The Galley, The Mighty Quinn, UbiGro, Vaper Tip, Willie’s Reserve, and Willow Creek Cannabis Alliance.
EC’s Harvest Ball has top sponsors hosting various places throughout the fair grounds like Cookies, Puffco, Compound Genetics, Seed Junkie Genetics, Humboldt Seed Company, STIIIZY, and Rove.
Harvest Ball 2021’s Gold and Silver Level Sponsors include: Agrarian, Black Market Group, Boveda, Califari, Cannacraft, CLTVTD Genetics, Garcia Hand Picked, Hempire,
Let’s Disrupt D.I.G.I.T.A.L., Lost Coast Plant Therapy, LitHouse, Mercy Wellness, Moon Valley Organics, Papa’s Select, Phinest Cannabis & West Coast Cure, PurePressure,Royal Gold Soil, Satori Wellness, 7pipe, The Terpomete, and Talking Trees.
Everybody in the Cannabis community is going to want to be at this celebration.
It’s a time for friends and Cannabis enthusiasts to get together after a long and overdue time away due to the pandemic.
We asked Emerald Cup founder and CEO Tim Blake and his daughter and co-producer Taylor Blake to give us their thoughts on EC Harvest Ball.
Taylor said “After over a year of being away it’s going to feel great to see everyone again! When I think of the Emerald Cups of the past and now, it’s always been the ultimate reunion for our community. You see everybody that you haven’t seen in a long time. One of the reasons we do this event every year is to help bring the community together. Because there is so much strength in our community when we come together!”
When asked about this year’s addition of Emerald Cup Small Farms Initiative Tim said: “These small farmers form the true roots of our industry, so it means so much to me and all of us at the Emerald Cup to be able to help them succeed as our industry moves forward into a new age of cannabis production, sales, and consumption,” He continued, “I only wish we could help more. Each of the farms — all from historic cannabis producing regions and the Emerald Triangle area of Northern California — was chosen by lottery after being carefully vetted by our committee in terms of size and need, as well as for ethical and sustainable farming practices.”
Well said Tim and Taylor! We look forward to bringing you all the details and give readers who can’t make it to Northern California to experience it with us here at Cannapolitan. We’ll be sure to bring you all the excitement that comes with attending the Emerald Cup. We’re extra excited to witness and experience the first of many Emerald Cup Harvest Ball celebrations to come.
Here’s what you need to know and where to go to be a part of this historic weekend!
Emerald Cup Harvest Ball 2021
Sonoma County Fairgrounds, Santa Rosa, California
SATURDAY DECEMBER 11th
Emerald VIP & Super Emerald VIP: 11am – 10pm PDT
General Admission: 12pm – 10pm PDT
Marketplace Hours: 11am – 9pm PDT (VIP early entry)
SUNDAY DECEMBER 12th
Emerald VIP & Super Emerald VIP: 11am – 8pm PDT
General Admission: 12pm – 8pm PDT
Marketplace Hours: 11am – 8pm PDT (VIP early entry)
Get ready and make sure to secure your lodging if you’re traveling a distance. Hotels & motels get solid booked during this event, so it’s important to secure a reservation soon.
Visit: www.theemeraldcup.com for more information on ticket prices and to purchase tickets.
$1.00 of every ticket sold will go to Sweet Leaf Collective for Compassionate Care that helps supply Cannabis to a variety of needing patients throughout the state.
