Judging
The Winter Classic 2026
The Ultimate Cultivators' Showdown · Presented by NYC420CCC and C4 Events · New York City
64 Growers. 8 Categories. 20 Judges. 4 Champions.
Roll Wit Rory judges Fruit vs Candy
Selected judge · one of 20 on the panel
Blind-judged cultivator competition. 64 growers maximum, 8 categories, 8 entries per category, grouped into 4 head-to-head brackets. Every entry is judged blind against a standardized scoring rubric by a panel of 20 industry judges, so reputation, popularity and branding play no part in the score. The top 2 entries in each category advance — 4 per bracket, 16 growers in total — to knockout rounds, where champions are decided head to head. A separate People's Choice Pre-Roll category, run with WeedBuds, is ranked by the first 100 paid attendees rather than the judging panel.
The format
- Field
- 64 growers max
- Categories
- 8
- Judging panel
- 20
- Advancing
- Top 2 per category · 16 growers reach the knockout rounds
- Entries due
- Oct 8, 2026
- Final event
- Live awards ceremony, Sunday Nov 29, 2026, Champagne Problems, 207 Bowery, NYC
The eight categories
CandyFruitSourHazeOld School Gas (pre-GG4)New School Gas (post-GG4)Rookie Strain (first released 2025/2026)Bred-It-Yourself
The judges announced so far
Judges announced publicly by the organisers so far; the full panel is 20. Descriptions are summarised rather than copied from the organisers' own announcement captions, which are their writing, not Rory's.
Fruit vs Candy Rory’s bracket
Rory
Independent reviewer based in New Jersey. Scores every flower on the 3-Pillar Master Review Index — nose, taste and high, written up in full.
Michigan Matt
Runs some of Michigan's best-known consumption events and has been in the garden for eighteen years. Judges on authenticity.
@chimmywinChimmy
Brand builder who spent two years connecting Wowtown's genetics with an audience. Co-owns rosin edible company Sprinkld Labs and created the ChimmyTech prep method.
@firstclassgeneticsofficialFirst Class Genetics
Mail-order clone pioneers dealing in rare cultivars, shipped live to the door.
@theweedbar2The Weed Bar
Michigan media pioneer — one of the first authentic cannabis podcasts, the Weed Bar Awards, the 420 Bus Tour and Free the Culture Music Festival. Now taking 15+ years of collected genetics into cultivation on a Michigan Class C licence.
Haze vs Sour
Kevin
Founded La Marina Boyz in the '90s, the go-to spot for real Uptown Haze, and now works on the legal market. A bridge between the legacy and licensed eras of NYC cannabis.
@chefro420Chefro420
Head dishwasher at People Under The Stairs Genetics. Growing since the '90s; in it for the gas and the funk.
@piffington_farmsMiYagi
Washington Heights, twenty-plus years across cultivation, automation and full buildouts — underground apartments through warehouses to the legal market. Keeper of real Sour Diesel, Haze, GG and Gary P.
@ogmatt225Matt
Roots well before legalisation. Founded D Nine in the Bronx, a room where the culture of the plant and the culture of the streets actually meet.
@ajsourdieselAJ
Grew great weed in NYC for decades before it was fashionable. His seed company Designer Genes preserves vintage lines — Sour Diesel, NL5 Haze, OG.
Old School Gas vs New School Gas
Rick DeLisi
Co-founder of Delisioso. Decades across genetics, cultivation, curing, flower and terpenes; reads quality by nose, appearance, burn and smoke.
@sylv_esterstillstonedSylvester
Brooklyn native, widely rated one of NYC's premier reviewers, with a trusted palate.
@dankphotosnycDank Photos NYC
The photographer behind the NYC420CCC visuals, and one of the most respected cannabis photographers in the city. Judging on an eye trained by shooting growers' work.
@dr.dankensteinsDr. Dankensteins
Longtime grower and advocate through The Legacy Growers and the NY Craft Association, backing small farmers and the people who built the culture before it was an industry.
@1holyghostFrom The Soil
Founder of From The Soil and a citizen mycologist. Two decades either side of the grow room, focused on clean flower that combusts properly.
Rookie Strain vs Bred-It-Yourself
Jon Frank
Legacy cannabis educator who carried traditional cannabis culture into New Jersey's legal market. Hands-on with cultivation, hash making, washing and processing, and known for making complex material teachable.
@bdot.the.budmanBdot the Budman
Newer to the NYC scene and already prolific — multiple video reviews a week, buying the hype strains himself to say plainly whether they are worth the ticket.
@jas_ssimoneJasmine
Cannabis influencer working where cannabis culture and fashion meet, and founder of a female and minority-owned brand. Active across both the New York and New Jersey scenes.
@dailydarkstoutsAustin
R&D specialist at Hyman, working sourcing, QC and new SKUs, and running the hand-rolling team day to day.
@beengreenlife4.20Been Green Life
One of NYC's most trusted curators, known for a discerning palate and fair pricing. Started with NYC brands and now carries growers from across the country.
When
Sunday, November 29, 2026 · 6–9:30 PM · Champagne Problems, 207 Bowery, New York, NY
Questions people ask
When is The Winter Classic 2026?
Sunday, November 29, 2026 · 6–9:30 PM, at Champagne Problems, 207 Bowery, New York, NY.
Where can I get tickets for The Winter Classic?
Tickets are sold on eventhi: https://eventhi.io/events/the-winter-classic-15092
How is The Winter Classic judged?
Blind-judged cultivator competition. 64 growers maximum, 8 categories, 8 entries per category, grouped into 4 head-to-head brackets. Every entry is judged blind against a standardized scoring rubric by a panel of 20 industry judges, so reputation, popularity and branding play no part in the score. The top 2 entries in each category advance — 4 per bracket, 16 growers in total — to knockout rounds, where champions are decided head to head. A separate People's Choice Pre-Roll category, run with WeedBuds, is ranked by the first 100 paid attendees rather than the judging panel.
Who judges The Winter Classic?
A panel of 20 industry judges. Roll Wit Rory judges the Fruit vs Candy bracket.
What are the categories at The Winter Classic?
Candy, Fruit, Sour, Haze, Old School Gas (pre-GG4), New School Gas (post-GG4), Rookie Strain (first released 2025/2026), Bred-It-Yourself.