Cannavista Wellness to host inaugural Buchanna Fest benefit concert

Published 4:35 pm Monday, June 27, 2022

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BUCHANAN — A local cannabis retailer is gearing up to put on a show to give back to the community.

Cannavista Wellness, 120 E. Front St., is hosting its inaugural Buchanna Fest event from noon to 8 p.m. Sunday, July 3 at The Commons in downtown Buchanan.

The benefit concert will feature live music from local artists, food, vendors and craft beer. Freddie Miller, a Cannavista Wellness staff member, will MC the festival.

“Normally, the Fourth of July weekend here is pretty slow,” said Cannavista Wellness owner Rick Paniagua. “People tend to go to other places. With people having Monday off, we thought we would host a party for the city of Buchanan. We just want people to relax, enjoy and celebrate the things that we have.”

Buchanna Fest will have a suggested donation of $10 per family unit for the Lyla Grace Corporation, a non-profit which Paniagua helped found with Buchanan residents to improve the Buchanan community. All proceeds will be directed toward improving Buchanan public parks.

“This is about trying to support our community, provide some funds for individuals or projects where funding is either lacking or nonexistent,” he said. “Buchanan has identified that there are not enough public spaces for kids and young adults at local parks. Hopefully if we are successful in our efforts, we will be able to build a sports park in one of the city parks. … Not only is Cannavista about supporting the Lyla Grace Corporation, it’s about destigmatizing cannabis.”

Cannavista Wellness entertainment director Elliott Skjordal believes that being active in the community will help remove negative stereotypes surrounding the cannabis industry.

“Cannavista wanted to give back to the community and be involved in the community,” Skjordal said. “We aren’t scary, we’re invested in the community and want to make a difference. From my perspective, a lot of good can come from putting on a show. We’re raising money that goes into the community.”

Event lineup:

That’s what she said | Acoustic

Hourglass | Alt/Post grunge

River rats | Pop punk

Trey Marquis | R&B/Hip-hop

Wolf ticket | Pop punk

The Erly | Funk/Disco

Food vendors:

La Chula | Mexican

Wood, Stock and Grill | BBQ

River St. Joe | Farm fresh food, craft beer