 The " Burnside Burn " was an event held on the Burnside Bridge in Portland , Oregon , starting at midnight on July 1 , 2015 , the day recreational marijuana became legal in the U.S. state of Oregon . It was organized by Portland NORML , the local chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws , having originated from a 2014 event. The 2015 event included a music festival, food, speakers, and the lighting of 1,000 marijuana-scented candles. The 2015 event was attended by an estimated 10,000