Farmington’s 3rd Annual Cannabis Crawl: A Growing Tradition With Deep Roots
FARMINGTON, N.M. – Now in its third year, the Farmington Cannabis Crawl has firmly established itself as a highlight on San Juan County’s spring calendar. Held over a weekend in late March, this year’s event drew larger crowds, featured smoother coordination among participants and welcomed the most diverse lineup of vendors yet, setting a new benchmark for the annual celebration of cannabis culture.
“This was one of our best years doing the Crawl,” said Michele Wayne, the event’s Cannabis Crawl coordinator. “We listened to the Crawlers from last year and limited the number of participating dispensaries to 16, down from 21. That made it way more doable – some people even finished the Crawl in a single day.”
The Crawl, modeled after its long-running Durango counterpart, invites cannabis consumers to visit local dispensaries and vendors over the course of a few days. It’s part cannabis tour, part celebration and part incentive-driven shopping experience. Participants get their “Crawl Passport” stamped at participating locations for the chance to win prizes, try new products and interact with business owners and manufacturers in a low-key, welcoming environment.
One of the changes this year included kicking off the event at Grady’s Cannabis in Aztec, a shift from previous years when Farmington served as the starting point.
“This gave Crawlers an opportunity to plan their route more strategically,” Wayne said. “They could choose to start in Bloomfield or head straight into Farmington.”
Grady’s wasn’t just the launchpad—the dispensary has been a key supporter since the Crawl’s inception. Owner Jennifer Grady said her team looks forward to the event every year.
“We’ve participated in the Farmington Cannabis Crawl since the beginning,” she said. “We enjoy the extra traffic to the store and the opportunity to educate and promote our in-house products and New Mexico cannabis products.”
Tony Martinez, CEO of Lava Leaf Organics, also said the Crawl is a valuable opportunity to connect with customers and showcase what makes their dispensary stand out.
“It is an opportunity to meet new people and show them our space, quality products and great pricing,” he said. “The community can take advantage of the great event specials, and we get to show them how special we are.”
Martinez said his favorite part of the Crawl was “seeing new faces light up when they smell our in-house top-shelf flower.” He confirmed Lava Leaf Organics’ plans to participate in the event again next year.
While New Mexico’s cannabis scene has continued to evolve since legalization, Farmington has found itself navigating both growth and saturation.
“Honestly, it’s oversaturated,” Wayne said. “But most of these companies have been here since the beginning, and they’ve each carved out their own niche.”
Still, the Crawl continues to offer a critical boost for local businesses.
“During this time, dispensaries can count on sales increasing and gaining new customers,” Wayne said. “Hopefully, they keep coming back after the Crawl is over.”
Dime Industries joined the lineup this year as the event’s first manufacturer sponsor – a step toward broader industry collaboration. Organizers hope to attract more manufacturers in future years to further enrich the experience.
Another small but significant change made a big difference: shifting the Crawl to Thursday through Saturday instead of ending on Sunday.
“Some dispensaries weren’t open on Sundays, which made things complicated,” Wayne said. “Changing the days really improved participation.”
Looking ahead, both Wayne and Grady see opportunities to build on the event’s momentum. There’s even talk of adding a fall edition.
“Some of our sponsors have asked if we could hold two events yearly,” Wayne said. “We’re looking into it.”
For now, the spring Crawl remains a standout moment in Farmington’s cannabis calendar, an event that’s as much about community connection as it is about commerce.
“We want people to come in, see what’s new and feel welcomed,” Wayne said. “That’s the whole point.”
