[1][2][3] According to Russ Belville, the chapter's executive director, the event began with the idea of taking a photograph in front of the White Stag sign.

'"[1][5] On the evening of June 30, beginning as early as 8pm,[6] and into the morning of July 1, 2015, between a few hundred and a few thousand people gathered on the Burnside Bridge's north sidewalk for the free event.

[2][9] Belville had initially expected "between 50 and 5,000 people", but details of the event spread online and through word of mouth, and ultimately it was estimated that "thousands" had turned out.

One man, known as "Pork Chop" (or "Porkchop"), reportedly announced over a megaphone that he had 420 pounds of marijuana to distribute, though his claim was not supported by news outlets.

[2] One man distributed drops of hash oil,[9] and Belville himself shared an ounce of marijuana (the maximum allowed under Oregon Ballot Measure 91).

[1][6] The Oregonian described the event as "loud and energetic", attracting a diverse and "eclectic" crowd of activists, marijuana enthusiasts, and first-time consumers, some from as far away as Canada and San Diego.

"[3] The Huffington Post's Andy Campbell called the event a "smoke-out with a message" and opined, "Legalization is so much more than being able to smoke a joint in your home without being a criminal.