- Green Wednesday is the day before Thanksgiving — Wednesday, November 25, 2026 — widely called cannabis's Black Friday and one of the two busiest shopping days of the year, alongside 4/20.
- Float On is at 136½ Church Street, on the Church Street Marketplace in downtown Burlington, VT — open seven days a week.
- Plan ahead: build your order on the live menu and pick it up under your name, come early in the day, and expect a crowd downtown.
- Adult-use cannabis is 21+ and private-use only — bring a valid photo ID, and remember public consumption isn't permitted anywhere in Vermont.
If you've never heard of Green Wednesday, you're not alone — but if you plan to stop by a Vermont dispensary the week of Thanksgiving, it's worth knowing about. The day before Thanksgiving has quietly become one of the biggest days on the cannabis calendar, and downtown Burlington is busy that week regardless. A little planning turns what could be a long wait into a five-minute errand. Here's what the day is, why it gets so busy, and how to make your visit to Float On an easy one.
What is Green Wednesday?
Green Wednesday is the informal name for the day before Thanksgiving — the cannabis world's version of Black Friday. As families travel in and gather for the long weekend, dispensaries across the country see a rush of shoppers stocking up before the holiday. It has grown into one of the two busiest sales days of the year for the industry, with many retailers ranking it second only to 4/20.
The reasoning is simple: it's the last easy shopping window before a four-day weekend, people are off work, and hosts and travelers alike want to be set before the turkey goes in. The result is a lot of foot traffic packed into one afternoon.
When is Green Wednesday in 2026?
In 2026, Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, November 26, so Green Wednesday is Wednesday, November 25, 2026. That single Wednesday — and the days on either side of it — is the stretch to plan around if you'd rather not wait in a line.
Why is it so busy?
The crowd is real, and the numbers back it up. National dispensary-software platforms have measured average sales on the day before Thanksgiving climbing to roughly double a typical Wednesday — a jump driven by more people through the door, not just larger orders. Add downtown Burlington's usual pre-holiday bustle on the Church Street Marketplace, and Green Wednesday afternoon is the peak of the peak.
How can I plan ahead in Burlington?
The single best move is to order ahead. You can build your order on the live menu before you leave the house, and the team will set it aside under your name for a quick pickup — no browsing the shelves while the shop is full. Our order-ahead pickup guide walks through the whole flow if it's your first time doing it.
- Order ahead and pick up. It's the fastest path through a busy day — you skip straight to the counter.
- Come early. Float On opens in the morning; the first hour or two is far quieter than the afternoon rush.
- Shop a day or two before. Green Wednesday's crowd is concentrated on that one afternoon — the days leading up to it are noticeably calmer.
- Bring a valid 21+ photo ID. Everyone gets carded at the door, every visit, no exceptions.
If you're driving in, downtown parking fills up fast on a pre-holiday afternoon — our Church Street Marketplace parking guide covers the nearest garages and the walk to the shop. New to dispensaries altogether? What to expect your first time covers the visit start to finish.
When is Float On open that week?
Float On is open seven days a week, including the days around Thanksgiving. Regular hours are Monday–Wednesday 8:30am–9pm, Thursday 8:30am–10pm, Friday 8:30am–midnight, Saturday 9:30am–midnight, and Sunday 9:30am–9pm. Holiday hours can vary, so if you're timing a visit tightly around Thanksgiving, it's worth a quick call to the shop to confirm before you head out. The store is right on the bricks at 136½ Church Street — see our downtown Burlington guide for getting oriented on the Marketplace.
What about hosting or gifting over the holiday?
If you're an adult 21 or older buying ahead of a gathering, a few Vermont rules are worth keeping in mind so the long weekend stays easy. Cannabis here is strictly for adults 21 and up, and it's private-use only — public consumption is not permitted anywhere in Vermont, so keep it to a private residence and out of parks, sidewalks, and vehicles. Never share with anyone under 21, and never drive after using — impaired driving laws apply to cannabis exactly as they do to alcohol.
What's the smart way to shop Green Wednesday at Float On?
Treat it like any busy holiday errand: decide what you want before you go, lock it in, and time your trip around the crowd rather than into it. Browse the live menu, set your order aside for pickup, aim for the morning or a day early, and bring your ID. The menu price you see is the final, all-in price — Vermont's cannabis tax is already included — so there's nothing extra to work out at the counter. Do that, and Green Wednesday is a quick stop on Church Street, not a line you're stuck in while everyone else heads home for the holiday.