The Emerald Cup Guide: Dates, Location, Harvest Ball, Winners and 2027

The Emerald Cup is California’s most famous cannabis competition. Every year, growers, hash makers and brands submit their best work to be judged, and thousands of people show up to celebrate the harvest. This guide covers when and where the Emerald Cup happens, what the Harvest Ball is, who has won, and what to expect for 2027.

When is the Emerald Cup?

For most of its history the Emerald Cup took place in December, right after the outdoor harvest. That timing has moved around in recent years. The 19th annual awards were held in May 2023, and event listings for 2026 put the Emerald Cup at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds on August 15 and 16, 2026, with tickets listed from $75 to $250.

The 2027 dates have not been announced yet. Check the official Emerald Cup website before you book travel, and bookmark this page, since we will update it when dates are confirmed.

Where is the Emerald Cup held?

The Emerald Cup’s home is the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa, California, about an hour north of San Francisco. The awards have also been held in Southern California and in Richmond, California in some years, so always confirm the venue for the year you plan to attend.

• City: Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California
• Venue: Sonoma County Fairgrounds
• Nearest airports: Charles M. Schulz Sonoma County Airport, or San Francisco and Oakland
• Age: past events were 18+, with consumption areas limited to 21+ or valid medical patients

What is the Emerald Cup Harvest Ball?

The Emerald Cup Harvest Ball started in December 2021 as a two-day celebration of the fall harvest at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds. It was billed as “the road to the Cup,” the first step toward that season’s awards.

The first Harvest Ball had three music stages with headliners Big Wild and Trevor Hall, a consumer marketplace with fresh-harvest flower and new genetics, consumption lounges, talks with industry leaders, and free booths for small farmers. Two-day general admission was $110 that year, with VIP passes above $500.

History of the Emerald Cup

• Founded in 2004 by Tim Blake in Northern California’s Emerald Triangle.
• It started as a small, almost secret event for farmers, many of whom hid their identities.
• It grew into one of the best-known cannabis competitions in the world, with hundreds of entries across more than 40 categories.
• Since legalization, it has become a full festival with music, education, food and a large marketplace.

Emerald Cup categories

Entries are judged across flower, pre-rolls, concentrates, cartridges, edibles, topicals and tinctures. Flower is split by how it was grown: sungrown, mixed light, greenhouse and indoor. Solventless hash, including ice water hash and rosin, has become one of the most watched categories.

Past Emerald Cup winners

At the 2023 awards, Fig Farms won Best in Show and Best Indoor Flower with Blue Face. Other 2023 winners included:

• Sungrown flower: Rebel Grown, Double OG Chem #15
• Mixed light flower: Ridgeline Farms, LANTZ
• Ice water hash: Heritage Hash Co. x Huckleberry Hill Farms, Whitethorn Rose Live Bubble Hash
• Rosin: El Krem x Purple City Genetics x Ahti Hash x Sunrise Gardens, El Krem Moroccan Peaches
• Infused solventless pre-roll: Heritage Hash Co. x Huckleberry Hill Farms, Whitethorn Rose

Tips for going to the Emerald Cup

• Buy tickets early. Prices usually rise closer to the event.
• Book Santa Rosa hotels well ahead, or stay in nearby Rohnert Park, Healdsburg or Sonoma.
• Bring cash and a valid ID. Many small farm booths are cash only.
• Pace yourself. Two days of sampling is a marathon, not a sprint.
• Use rideshare. Do not drive after consuming.

What Wizard Trees fans should look for

The Emerald Cup leans toward sungrown Northern California farms, while Wizard Trees is known for Los Angeles indoor flower and candy-gas genetics. That makes the Cup a great place to compare styles. Spend time in the indoor flower and solventless hash areas, where flavor-first strains like the ones Wizard Trees is known for get the most attention.

If hash is your thing, try the Wizard Trees x Golden Warriors Static Sift, a solventless collab with Golden Warriors. For flower, browse our Wizard Trees flower and pre-rolls, and rep the brand at the event with Wizard Trees merch.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Emerald Cup 2027?

The 2027 dates have not been announced. The 2026 edition was listed for August 15 and 16 at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa.

How much are Emerald Cup tickets?

2026 tickets were listed between $75 and $250 depending on the pass. VIP packages cost more.

Who founded the Emerald Cup?

Tim Blake founded the Emerald Cup in 2004.

Is the Emerald Cup the same as the Harvest Ball?

No. The Harvest Ball is a fall harvest festival run by the Emerald Cup. The Emerald Cup itself is the competition and awards.

More cannabis events coming up: read our guide to Wizard Trees genetics at Mary Jane Berlin.

For adults 21+ only. Follow the cannabis laws where you live.