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2026 Grower’s Gathering: Cannabis, Clones, Cheap Ounces, and Enough Dogs to Start a Wolf Sanctuary
By OG Strain for The Plug’s Pages Magazine
There are cannabis events… and then there are Damn Sam events.
And if you’ve ever attended a Grower’s Gathering hosted by Rob Robinson and Emily Harper — better known throughout the canna community as Damn Sam — then you already know you’re not just showing up for weed.
You’re showing up for a full-blown cannabis carnival where somebody’s grandma is buying clones, a guy dressed like Ozzy Osbourne is screaming into a microphone, somebody else is carrying a deer skull through the parking lot like it’s perfectly normal, and at least fourteen dogs are emotionally supporting everyone simultaneously.
This year’s Grower’s Gathering in Palenville, New York was another unforgettable celebration of cannabis culture, community, and controlled chaos in the best possible way.
Held at the beautiful The Griffin House, the event brought together over 50 vendors from all over the region, offering everything from premium flower and hash to genetics, clones, body care products, art, apparel, oddities, and enough cannabis deals to make your wallet nervous before you even parked the car.
And despite windy, overcast weather that looked like Mother Nature herself forgot her lighter, the turnout was massive.
Families came out. Friends came out. Growers came out. Smokers came out.
Even the dogs came out.
Seriously — there were dogs everywhere. Big dogs, little dogs, fluffy dogs, old dogs, dogs that looked like they definitely knew where the hash table was located. If you love cannabis and dogs, this event basically felt like heaven with food trucks.
Vendor Heaven for Cannabis Lovers
One of the highlights of Grower’s Gathering is always the incredible vendor lineup, and this year absolutely delivered.
If you were hunting for quality flower, Higher Beings powered by Hudson Valley Green had people stopping in their tracks with premium buds and good vibes. And of course, the legendary Kevin Graham dropped what may have been the quote of the entire event:
“Every day is a good day OG — every day we wake up breathing is a great day.”
Honestly? That man deserves to have that printed on a rolling tray immediately.
Meanwhile, if genetics are your thing and you enjoy talking terpenes like stockbrokers talk Bitcoin, No Mountain Higher had killer genetics that had growers hovering around the booth like moths around a porch light.
Need clones? No problem.
Smuggles 518 came prepared with clones and genetics for growers ready to kick off the 2026 season, while Haywood Buds also brought healthy clones that had growers acting like proud parents at a plant adoption center.
For people looking for wellness products, Stickman Body Care offered quality flower along with body care products that probably smell better than most people’s apartments.
Fashion lovers had plenty to spend money on too.
Hippiefunland brought colorful tie-dye shirts loud enough to be seen from space, while The Good Sheppards had hats and family silver that looked like something a stylish outlaw wizard would wear while trimming plants under moonlight.
And then came the ounce wars.
If you wanted dense budget-friendly flower, East Coast Remedies was moving $50 ounces that had people checking their pockets twice just to make sure reality hadn’t glitched.
Meanwhile, Shaka Joe’s — famously known as the Home of the Hundred Dollar Ounces — was doing exactly what they’re known for.
And for those wanting premium quality with delivery options nearly everywhere, Backwoods Beauties had $120 ounces and enough interest around the booth to make you think they were handing out winning lottery tickets.
Then, just when you thought the event couldn’t get any more interesting…
You turn a corner and suddenly somebody is selling skulls.
Because of course they are.
Central Oddities brought deer skulls, human skull replicas, furs, and enough strange collectibles to make the entire event feel like a cannabis festival collided head-first with a medieval curiosity shop.
And for hash lovers, Experienced Hashish was serving up quality hash that had seasoned smokers nodding in approval like judges on a cooking show.
Live Music, Great Food, and Ozzy Apparently Returned from the Dead
As if the cannabis itself wasn’t entertaining enough, attendees were also treated to live music and food throughout the day.
But one of the biggest crowd-grabbers was the Ozzy Osbourne cover band Garth.
And listen…
These guys didn’t just play Ozzy.
They looked and sounded so much like Ozzy that half the crowd probably checked the calendar to make sure it wasn’t 1983.
At one point, between the music, the smoke clouds, the barking dogs, and the smell of food in the air, the entire place felt less like an event and more like a cannabis-powered alternate universe where everybody somehow got along.
Which honestly says a lot.
Because unlike the typical drunken bar scene where somebody inevitably argues about nonsense and punches a jukebox, cannabis events like Grower’s Gathering have a completely different energy.
People were friendly.
People were helping each other.
People were laughing.
Growers were sharing advice.
Strangers were becoming friends over jars of flower and conversations about terpenes.
It was community in its purest form.
Damn Sam Does It Again
None of this happens without the hard work of the hosts.
Special thanks go out to Rob Robinson and Emily Harper for putting together another outstanding and memorable event and helping kick off the 2026 grow season the right way.
And major appreciation also goes to The Griffin House for allowing the community to gather there and create another unforgettable day for cannabis culture in New York.
Grower’s Gathering wasn’t just a cannabis event.
It was a reminder that the cannabis community is filled with good people, positive energy, creativity, laughter, support, music, food, friendship, and apparently an unlimited supply of dogs.
And honestly?
That’s exactly how it should be.
Much love,
OG Strain
Want to attend future Damn Sam events?
You can find upcoming events, details, and information at
Damn Sam Official Website: www.damnsam.com
Watch the full event coverage from OG Strain
The full video premiere is available now on
Strain’s Strain Reviews (Talk Cannabis) on YouTube & the Channel link is below:
