In just a few short years, Revelry NYC has become the cannabis event where New York’s culture, commerce, and community converge. This year, it’s taking over Pier 36 in Manhattan on September 12–13, 2025, and according to co-founder Lulu Tsui, it’s bigger, more inclusive, and more dialed-in than ever.
As the Chief Experience Officer for On The Revel, Tsui has spent years designing events that bridge the gap between New York’s rapidly evolving cannabis industry and the community that sustains it.
“We create spaces, trade shows, events, and industry nights specifically for the cannabis industry,” Tsui told me. “To gather good people who are working in the industry, interested in the industry, and who want to support the community.”
Lulu’s story starts far from the Manhattan waterfront. Her family immigrated from northern China to Eugene, Oregon, in the late 1970s, a place she describes as “a little hippie college town that hasn’t changed since the ’60s.”
The people who helped her family adjust to life in America were cannabis growers and distributors. “I was just raised by aunties and uncles that had a very different viewpoint towards cannabis and psychedelics,” she said. This was in stark contrast to her “super hardcore communist dragon” parents, who, like many Chinese immigrants, were hesitant and still saw cannabis simply as “drugs.”
That early exposure shaped her belief that “community and how you talk about it, how you work with it, can change hearts and minds in such a huge way.”
Her first cannabis experience came at 13, facilitated by her aunt, followed by an equally intentional introduction to psychedelics from her uncle. “It’s not a taboo thing. It’s not a scary thing. It’s a healing thing.”
Photo: Angie Vasquez
Designing Experiences Like No One Else
Tsui and her co-founder, Jacobi Holland, approach event production like UX designers. “We’re the most annoying group to work with because we talk through the flow for every interaction,” she laughed. “From sponsors and exhibitors to attendees and speakers, we design based on what people need.”
They also have the rare advantage of having worked as operators themselves, Tsui in the Washington State market, Holland in Colorado, bringing firsthand understanding to every decision. “Would you have a shoe designer design a shoe if they’ve never worn shoes before?” she asked. “We know the challenges operators face.”
The team behind Revelry reads like a cross-disciplinary dream roster:
- Jason Starr, a human rights lawyer and co-author of New York’s MRTA legalization bill.
- Peter Marcato, neuroscientist and head of community and content.
- Gerald Dean, a veteran of sales and trade show production.
- Saki Fenderson, producer, activist, and longtime community organizer.
- Delilah Ware is, fresh graduate of LIM College’s Cannabis Program.
Photo: Erica Harris
For Tsui, diversity goes beyond surface appearances. “Diversity is your personal background, education, life story, religion, all of those things. We have multi-dimensional humans who all believe in being of service.”
From a Gym Basement to Pier 36
Revelry’s first trade show took place in early 2023 in the basement of a gym. Even then, the formula clicked: 60 exhibitors, 44 of the state’s 60 licensed dispensaries, and a lot of handshakes.
Now, with their sixth trade show approaching, the scale has exploded. This year’s Buyers’ Club will feature 200+ legal New York cannabis brands and over 400 retailers.
“We’re calling it the New York Hunger Games,” Tsui joked. “There’s always chaos in the headlines, but what we’re trying to do is highlight the people who are still pushing forward as best as they can.”
A Lineup as Bold as the City Itself
This year’s Revelry Festival stage is stacked with talent that embodies New York’s unmatched cultural energy. Black Thought brings lyrical mastery, while Angel & Dren infuse the waterfront with their genre-bending DJ sets. Phony Ppl will deliver their signature blend of soul, R&B, and hip-hop, joined by the culinary creativity of Chef Nikki and the Latin-inspired sounds of Dos Flakos. Scottie Beam takes the mic for a keynote conversation, and Eagle Witt brings the laughs with his sharp comedic edge.
It’s a lineup that reflects exactly what Revelry stands for: the seamless blend of serious industry connections with the art, music, and flavor that make New York a global icon.
Building on the success of May 2025’s Buyers’ Club, which drew 1,800+ attendees and connected 300+ buyers with 160+ brands, this September’s festival is set to further cement New York’s role as a cannabis powerhouse.
Two Days, Two Experiences
Day 1 – Friday, Sept. 12: Industry-Only Buyers’ Club
This is all about business. “Ninety percent of our attendees are buyers,” Tsui explained. “You’re talking to the decision makers who can give you a purchase order or become a hot lead.”
Day 2 – Saturday, Sept. 13: Revelry Festival
When the doors open to the public, the vibe shifts from trade show floor to full-blown cultural celebration. Music, food, live art, and consumer education panels set the tone for a uniquely New York experience.
This year’s programming includes:
- Consumer Education & “Keeping It Real” Brand-Building panels
- OG New York Legacy Strain Stories
- A Psychedelics Panel previewing On The Revel’s January psychedelic conference
- Keynote interviews with Scotty Beam and Black Thought
- Live performances from Phony Ppl, Angel + Dren, Dos Blacos, and more surprise guests
And yes, Tsui is trying to bring in roller disco.
Navigating Stigma and Winning Over Venues
Landing a venue like Pier 36 is not as simple as signing a contract and mailing in a deposit. For Tsui and her team, it can be a year-long process of building trust, answering concerns, and proving that a large-scale cannabis event can run as smoothly and as safely as any other major cultural gathering in New York City.
“It usually takes me and the team a year to get sign-off for a festival this large,” Tsui said. While sales managers at potential venues are often excited about the idea, the final decision-makers can be more cautious. “We’re still dealing with that stigma, what about the children, there’s going to be crime, all of those misconceptions,” she explained.
Overcoming that hesitation requires more than just promises. Revelry leans on a proven track record: years of hosting high-profile, incident-free events, maintaining clear communication with venue partners, and leaving every location in better condition than they found. This level of professionalism has not only earned them repeat invitations but also allowed them to secure spaces that are rarely, if ever, used for cannabis-related gatherings.
By combining transparency, meticulous planning, and genuine respect for their hosts, Tsui and her team are showing New York and the rest of the country that cannabis culture can be celebrated openly, responsibly, and with the same level of polish as any top-tier music festival or industry convention.
New York Cannabis Culture: Quiet but Powerful
Unlike California, where cannabis can be a loud part of personal identity, Tsui says most New Yorkers consume quietly. “Everybody I know consumes weed, they’re just not loud about it. It’s part of their creative process, their hiking trip, their meditation, their breathwork.”
Part of Revelry Festival’s mission is to grow the “addressable consumer market” by making cannabis as integrated into lifestyle culture as food, music, and art.
Not Just Another Trade Show
Trade show fatigue is real, but Tsui believes Revelry thrives because it’s more than a convention center with booths. “We don’t see things as transactions. We’re very rich in culture, community, and industry currency.”
Her team listens closely to feedback after every event and experiments with new ideas, even if they might fail. “Most of the time it hits. Sometimes it doesn’t. But no one’s pointing fingers.”
This openness to iteration keeps the event fresh, and the mix of business-first focus on Day 1 and community celebration on Day 2 ensures that both sides of the industry get value.
The Bigger Picture
Tsui envisions a future where cannabis events in New York are as culturally embedded as art fairs and music festivals. “Let’s do what New York does best with culture. Let’s bring the food. Let’s bring music. Let’s bring good vibes. Let’s bring cannabis.”
By carefully curating both the brands that exhibit and the audience that attends, Revelry NYC has become a trusted platform for genuine connection between legacy and legal operators, between industry insiders and consumers, and between cannabis and the broader cultural fabric of the city.
Revelry NYC 2025 At a Glance
Location: Pier 36, Manhattan
Dates:
- Friday, Sept. 12 – Industry-only Buyers’ Club (Brands, Cultivators, Processors, Retailers, Microbusinesses, Licensed Operators)
- Saturday, Sept. 13 – 21+ Public Revelry Festival
Highlights:
- 200+ Legal NY Cannabis Brands
- 400+ Retailers & Buyers
- Consumer Education & Brand Panels
- OG Legacy Strain Stories & Psychedelics Discussions
- Live Performances & Surprise Guests
As I wrapped up our conversation, Tsui reminded me:
“We’re just trying to create spaces for people to gather, and I think we’re pretty good at it.”
For anyone invested in the future of New York cannabis, whether you’re a brand, buyer, advocate, or consumer, Revelry NYC isn’t just another date on the calendar. It’s where the state’s cannabis culture comes to life.
