Atlanta’s SweetWater 420 Fest has returned, celebrating its twentieth anniversary with its trademark robust weekend of music, craft beer, and good vibes. From April 18th through the 20th, the Sweetwater Brewing Company-sponsored music festival takes over the historic Pullman Yards, offering a one-of-a-kind experience that celebrates music, the 420 lifestyles, the environment and Atlanta, drawing fans from all over America and worldwide. While the headliners include The Revivalists, Marcus King, and Cypress Hill, the bluegrass touch embodied by bands like Greensky Bluegrass and Sierra Hull indeed weaves the festival together.
“For Patrick and me, this festival is personal,” said Evan Woolard, Senior Brand Manager at SweetWater Brewing Company and 420 Fest co-director. “We were Atlantans who went to the 420 Fest just as music fans. For many years, we’ve had a vision of what 420 Fest is and what it means to Atlanta. It’s about bringing great music and SweetWater beer into the community and throwing a party we’re proud to share with friends, family, and coworkers.”
Traditionally, the festival offers a gumbo of genres, and bluegrass feels right at home. It is still as true to its storytelling roots and authentic musicianship as ever. Greensky Bluegrass serves as one of the headliners, embodying the festival’s ethos of authenticity and connection.
“Greensky Bluegrass epitomizes that Neil Young quote, ‘Sometimes you just gotta play it loud,’” explained Patrick Clark, Senior Marketing Manager at SweetWater Brewing Company and festival co-director. “So many of their songs start low and slow and just build and build and crescendo to a wall of sound. Playing through your stereo is one thing, but the second you come to 420 Fest, and you've got lights, sound, and lasers shooting at you with Greensky Bluegrass pulling it all together, there's no better way to end a night.”
It’s not just Greensky Bluegrass representing the genre. Festival goers can soak in Sierra Hull’s lightning-fast mandolin picking and other acts that blend bluegrass’s storytelling with modern energy. But SweetWater 420 Fest doesn’t stop at music—it’s a full-bodied experience that celebrates Atlanta culture in all its quirky, fun-loving glory.
“Celebrating 20 years of SweetWater 420 Fest is a testament to the transformative power of music to bring people together,” explained Ty Gilmore, President of Tilray Brands. “This festival has always been about more than just great performances —it’s about building community, supporting artists and Atlanta’s vibrant culture all through a shared love of craft beer in the South. We’re also proud that sustainability remains at the heart of our mission, ensuring we protect the waterways and green spaces that inspire our music and spirit.”
Pullman Yards: A New Stage with an Old Soul
SweetWater 420 Fest has called a few places home over the years, but stakes in the ground at Pullman Yards last year transformed the event. While Centennial Park offers that classic “big festival” feel, Pullman Yards provides a more intimate, historical charm that feels tailor-made for a festival that mixes that old-timey tried-and-true musicianship with high-energy roof-blowers.
“When you arrive at Pullman Yards, it sneaks up on you,” Evan explained. “You’re not in downtown Atlanta anymore. You’re in this intimate, magical space where you can hear the music, smell the food, and maybe even believe you’re in a time warp and have arrived in an old train depot. It’s a vibe.”
Once a bustling train yard, Pullman Yards has been lovingly restored as an arts and entertainment venue. This juxtaposition of historic grit and modern flair gives the festival its unique identity. Much like bluegrass music, space is a meeting point of tradition and innovation.
Bluegrass Roots in a Multigenre Lineup
Bluegrass holds a special place in SweetWater 420 Fest’s heart, where authenticity aligns perfectly with the festival’s ethos. Patrick carries a notebook with the motto, “Algorithms be damned!” Needless to say, Evan and Patrick embrace the challenge of finding a common thread that connects every act.
“Good music belongs with good music,” Patrick said. “Our lineup spans genres because we want to create an experience where every set feels connected. That authenticity is what makes 420 Fest special.”
This year’s lineup reflects this approach, with bluegrass acts like Greensky Bluegrass and Sierra Hull sharing the stage with The Drive-By Truckers and even hip-hop artist Linqua Franqa. The connection is an unspoken commitment to moving audiences through their music, whether a winking veteran delivering a traditional reel or some whipper snappers out to show off their chops.
Patrick drew a particularly striking connection between bluegrass and other genres on the lineup:
“If you listen to Drive-By Truckers, holy shit, you're going to hear some of the hardest stories that are out there, but they're all universally real and rooted in something that, at the end of the day, has got an uplifting message to it. And then you keep putting that throughline like you get over to Athens-based Linqua Franqa. If the throughline of real is what you're going for, you can listen to any of their rap. They only talk about real issues and only talk about real experiences that women are going through, and people are going through, and they put that into a rap song.”
A Sustainable Festival with Soul
For SweetWater, the festival also serves as a chance to give back to the environment and community. It aligns with Earth Day and supports organizations like the Waterkeeper Alliance. Sustainability is woven into every aspect of the event, from green energy powering parts of the festival to bike valet services that encourage eco-friendly transportation.
“You can’t have good beer without clean water,” Patrick said. “What Waterkeeper Alliance does is they make it possible for communities here locally, across the country, and all over this world to ensure that people have the right to clean drinking water. Ten dollars from every ticket sold is going to the Waterkeeper Alliance.”
Even with t
ese lofty goals, the festival doesn’t lose sight of its main purpose: a good time for everyone.
“We're going to do this the SweetWater way, the 420 Fest way,” proclaimed Patrick. “And if you show up to the party, you're going to have a good time.”
The SweetWater Spirit
At its core, SweetWater 420 Fest is about being together, and that resonates with music and beverage fans alike. Evan and Patrick, who started as fans of the festival, have poured their hearts into helming an event that is simultaneously grandly massive and deeply personal.
“It’s a celebration of the music we love as a SweetWater family,” Evan said. “We want people to gravitate to it, discover new artists, hear music they love, and leave with memories they’ll never forget.”
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