What I Learned At Revelry Buyers’ Club (Fall, NYC, 2025)

Whew, it’s been a whirlwind since I went to Revelry Buyers’ Club on the 12th of September. Apologies for being so late on this but I had to do a week’s worth of ertapenem infusions to combat the infection I’ve had for the past five years. I managed to stabilize myself to go but it took a toll on me that only hospital stays could correct.

*Ahem*

I love going to trade events because it’s the easiest way to learn how little I know. I’m not saying this because it’s a bad thing, far from it. The less I know, the more I get to learn and baby, I LOVE learning. From the grand schemes of things to the minute details, I love learning the ins and outs of things. It’s the engineer in me; it just craves knowledge. And boy howdy did I learn a lot at this Revelry Buyers’ Club. I attended on the 12th, the industry day, as I couldn’t deal with the crowds on the 13th for the festival due to my illness. My body only let me do about 5 hours of pure, unfettered wandering before it kinda crapped out but in those five hours…I learned so much. So, so much. So, as is tradition, I present to you: What I Learned at Revelry Buyers’ Club, updated for the Fall of 2025 NYC event. Let’s jump in, shall we?

The Vibe Was 100% NYC

I’ve been an upstate NY boy all my life. I lived in the Hudson Valley, went to school in Rochester, vacationed in the Adirondacks…the whole nine yards. I’ve been born and bred in the relatively easy-going attitudes that start to creep in once you go above Rockland County. But I appreciate the NY vibe, which I will heretofore refer to as “the hustle”. I call it that because it encapsulates so much about NYC: the fast pace, the striving for a better tomorrow, the dedication and drive. I love it, even if I wasn’t steeped in it my whole life. So when I say the vibe was 100% NYC, I’m NOT lying. It was a far cry from the event in Hudson back in April. The New York crew/reps were out and having a field day. They were brash, bold, loud, and just infectiously joyous about everything they were doing. The hustle was in full swing at this Revelry and, frankly…I LOVED it. I have a New Yorker friend that I talk with fairly regularly and they all spoke like him, all acted like him, so it was like hanging out with friends for a whole day. Sure, the jostling in the crowd was a little rougher than what I’m used to upstate but it was enjoyable to say the least. A very different energy to this event but definitely not a bad thing.

The Big Groups Were Out To Play

Big Cannabis (MSOs?), for lack of a better phrase, was out in full force. The big one I’m thinking of was HPI Canna but there were also others just as big. A lot of California brands cutting their teeth in the New York market like Honey King and Stiiizy, among others. They had big booths with flashy signs and lots of marketing, as to be expected. On one hand, I want NY cannabis to do well. If that means regional producers contract growing for bigger brands, well, that brings money in to the market. I like that. But, on the other hand, I’m all about small brands because that’s where I think the future of the cannabis market lies for connoisseurs in the NY market. Either legacy brands gone legal or small farms offering premium genetics, either one is going to be what puts NY on the map. NY’s Sour Diesel and other strains are legacy genetics that shouldn’t be washed out but rather preserved carefully so that we can continue to enjoy their attributes for a long time…but I kinda wanna see what crosses we can do with it. So I can’t honestly say how I feel about this at the moment but it’s definitely something I noticed.

The Small Tables Were Where The Magic Was

Of all the booths at the show, the small tables were where the cool stuff was happening. The big booths had their flashy signs and their ample space but the little booths had interesting products, interesting stories, and fascinating people, even if they were MSOs. Booths like A Walk In The Pines, Back Home Farms, Green Lady , House of Sacci, Breakfast Connections, Nanticoke/Alibi, Hudson Cannabis/Lowell/1906, etc…those were the booths where you got to talk shop heavy and really get into the nitty gritty. It was wonderful to get a glimpse into what smaller brands are doing, in terms of genetics, transition to indoor grow from outdoor grow, and new product lines and formulations. I found those booths to be the most interesting of ALL the booths at the show because you were, in essence, talking directly with the growers/SVPs/founders directly. It was great. Definitely don’t skimp on the smaller tables, they’re really where magic can happen.

People Were, Once Again, Kind and Generous

I remarked on this last time but everyone, and I mean everyone, I talked to looked thrilled to be there. I’ve been to some trade shows where the people at the booth could not have looked more bored in their lives but that ain’t the case with Revelry. Everyone was just frothing at the bit to talk about cannabis and I respect the hell outta that. It must be difficult to have to repeat the same thing to a million people for seven hours but they were having fun, joking around, and really just putting me and others at ease. Which is good because, for me, it’s intimidating getting in there and loudly barking at someone over the din of the crowd to hear their story. But nope, everyone really wanted to tell their tale and educate, illuminate, and enlighten. And when it came to…editorial considerations…they were also quite generous. I thrive on editorial considerations as my monthly cannabis budget for the website is abysmally low so it went a long way in providing a review queue for me. And I’m forever grateful for ANYTHING provided, really. It just continually amazes me that they can be so generous with things when I am, for lack of a better term, VERY small in the grand scheme of things. Although, if smoking and staring at the stars has taught me anything, it’s that we’re all pretty small in the grand scheme of things so I guess maybe that’s a moot point. Either way, everyone was VERY nice and VERY generous.

Shout-outs:

Breakfast Connections: Paul was amazing. I’d been following is Bacon, Egg, and Cheese (B.E.C) reviews for a long time on Instagram and meeting him in person was an honor. I still need to get that man to Rossi’s Deli for a breakfast sandwich the size of a hubcap.

Walk In The Pines: Interestingly enough, I met these folks at the FIRST cannabis event I ever went to (back on In With Bacchus) and they happened to be there at this one. Congratulations on the upgrade to the license to grow indoors. That rocks.

Hudson Cannabis/Lowell/1906: I had the pleasure of talking with Dimas and they were FANTASTIC to chat with. Very knowledgeable and very enthusiastic about the brand. I learned quite a bit. I hope you’re doing okay and that day didn’t wear you out too much.

Jetty/Wana/The Botanist: I actually ran into Zach again (the guy who I talked to at the April 2025 show) and we got to catch up which was great. I’m enamored with Wana brand, I’ll be honest. Maybe because it was my first successful attempt at taking an edible, maybe because they’re so good, maybe because the people are dope. I dunno but I love them and the brands they represent. Still gotta try a Jetty vape and some Botanist flower though. It’s on the list.

Alibi: Had the chance to talk with Marianne (the founder of Alibi) and she gave me an editorial consideration that I ended up consuming when I was doing infusions because I felt just so absolutely terrible. It was a LIFESAVER. Thank you Marianne and a pleasure to talk to you.

Overall, I had a FANTASTIC time at the NYC Revelry. It wasn’t like the Hudson Revelry at all, it was arguably better. It was definitely more cannabis focused, with a tighter spotlight on the brands and strains that NY was producing (as opposed to accoutrements and services for the industry). Would I go back? In a New York minute. Thanks for tuning in.

-CannaBacchus