Concertgoers will be able to consume marijuana at Nelly show at Table Rock Lake

Greta Cross, Springfield News-Leader
·2 min read

A Springfield-based cannabis event company is hosting its first event at Table Rock Lake this month.

Queen City Buds is hosting its Cannabis Carnival at the Show-Me Fest: Nelly & Friends concert at Black Oak Amphitheater on Saturday, Aug. 19. The carnival, open 4:30-8:30 p.m., will be available to all patrons of the festival who are 21 and older.

Marijuana consumption, of both smokables and edibles, will be allowed inside the carnival, which will be gated off from the rest of the music festival.

Thrive Branson West Dispensary will have a table set up at the carnival, offering marijuana information, promotional materials and edible samples, Queen City Buds co-founder Paul Allen said. The samples will not contain any THC, however, as that sort of distribution would be illegal under Missouri's marijuana law.

Queen City Buds is hosting its Cannabis Carnival during the Show-Me Fest: Nelly & Friends concert at Black Oak Amphitheater on Saturday, Aug. 19.
Queen City Buds is hosting its Cannabis Carnival during the Show-Me Fest: Nelly & Friends concert at Black Oak Amphitheater on Saturday, Aug. 19.

More than 20 vendors, including Sleepy Treats Grow Supply & Toke Shop, Sugar Hy, Candys Cannabis Corner Cafe, Captain Redbeard Seeds, 2 Chicks & a Head Shop and The Lake Store will be at the carnival.

Queen City Buds is also hosting a talent show during the carnival, open to all types of performers. Prizes range from smoke shop and restaurant gift cards to Queen City Buds promotional materials, Allen said. The talent show starts at 6 p.m. Those wishing to participate should message Queen City Buds on Facebook before the event.

Queen City Buds t-shirts will be available at the Cannabis Carnival during the Show-Me Fest: Nelly & Friends concert at Black Oak Amphitheater on Saturday, Aug. 19.
Queen City Buds t-shirts will be available at the Cannabis Carnival during the Show-Me Fest: Nelly & Friends concert at Black Oak Amphitheater on Saturday, Aug. 19.

Allen and Travis Porter founded Queen City Buds in August but have wanted to introduce cannabis-friendly events to the Ozarks for a few years.

Since recreational marijuana was legalized in Missouri, numerous cannabis-friendly event companies have popped up in the state. The Cannabis Society of Springfield hosted its first event, Mindfulness and Cannabis, in July, an event centered around edible marijuana consumption, meditation and education.

The Show-Me Fest: Nelly & Friends concert is a part of Black Oak Amphitheater's EquipmentShare Summer Concert Series. Doors to the concert open at 5:30 p.m. and the show starts at 7 p.m. Nelly will be joined on stage by musicians Murphy Lee, Kassi Ashton and Nic Danger. Tickets are available for purchase online at bit.ly/3KBlLTT.

The remainder of the EquipmentShare Summer Concert Series features Justin Moore and Scotty McCreery at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 18, and TobyMac, Cade Thompson and Natalie Layne at 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 1.

Greta Cross is the trending topics reporter for the Springfield News-Leader. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @gretacrossphoto. Story idea? Email her at gcross@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Springfield News-Leader: Nelly-headlined festival to feature Cannabis Carnival