Sunny skies, wide-open lawns, flying hacky-sacks. Thank God there are things like Hempfest to making going to college worthwhile.---

I'm kidding of course. If Hempfest were around when I went to college, I'd remember even less of my years at the U than I do now, due to the "youthful indiscretions" committed at all manner of unofficial Hempfests. But the Hempfest Wednesday on President's Circle is an actual educational opportunity, thanks to information booths and speakers who will drop knowledge about industrial hemp (ie. the rope-making kind, not the bong-packing kind). It runs from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., so there's ample opportunity to skip a full day of classes to kick it on the quad.

Elsewhere Wednesday, how about a free screening of a stone-cold stoner classic, courtesy of the good people right here at City Weekly?

Roll down to Brewvies at 6 p.m. for a free showing of Better Off Dead, one of John Cusack's finer mid-'80s moments. Don't consider Better Off Dead a stoner flick? Ask a friend who's seriously into film what they think of Better Off Dead, then go ask a stoner friend who's seriously into film what they think. The first friend will probably call the flick "a middling comedy," while the stoner friend will respond with, "Dude! I want my two dollars!" Or one of a million other quality one-liners.

 

After you've spent the day smoking out on campus, then drinking through the flick, head over to The State Room for some serious string-slingin' courtesy of Tony Furtado, a master of banjo and guitar. He's a bad man, and I'd hazard a guess he's dabbled in the demon week, too. The show starts at 8 p.m.