The festival was initiated and organized by Yippie and cannabis activist Ben Masel, and was held for fourteen years despite repeated incidents of attempted police interference.[2][3][4]
Masel was a well-known cannabis activist. He ran for political office many times, including against Wisconsin incumbent governors and U.S. senators. He died in 2011.[5]
^Doyle, Pat (May 16, 1992). "Judge blocks large Grassroots fest near Ogilvie". Star Tribune. Slattengren said the Minnesota event was intended primarily as a rock concert, not a political rally. The flier makes no explicit reference to politics. The judge described the scheduled gathering as a sequel to Weedstock and a similar Wisconsin festival called Hempstock, held on Labor Day.
