Snoop Dogg Credit: Arnold Turner/Getty Images
Snoop Dogg
Snoop Dogg Arnold Turner/Getty Images

It was most likely the biggest thing that’s happened for quite a while in the small town of Ontario, Oregon (pop. 11.366) when world-famous rapper/cannabis booster Snoop Dogg showed up for a free surprise concert on Saturday. Located on the Snake River on the Idaho border in Malheur County, Ontario city officials were shocked to hear that Snoop had agreed to celebrate the opening of Hotbox cannabis dispensary, which promised a fireworks display and a concert by the rapper who was to perform five songs as well as a DJ set. Cannabis grower/actor/comedian Jim Belushi was also scheduled to make an appearance.

Ontario officials say they were caught off guard by the sudden announcement, adding that the promoters had not applied for proper event permits and noise variations. Sgt. Dave Walters of the Ontario police was particularly worried they wouldn’t have enough staff to deal with any emergencies, telling Idaho’s CBS 2 news, “If something happens how are we going to help people? We just, we can’t, we won’t be able to. If 5,000 people show up on a two-acre lot, what are we going to do and how are we going to do it?” In response, police officials planned on activating “major incident response protocol.”

Another apparent issue was educating Ontario residents who had the following question: “Who or what is a ‘Snoop Dogg’?” In an article titled, “National star Snoop Dogg to perform in Ontario; crowds, traffic expected,” the Malheur Enterprise newspaper let readers know that “Snoop Dogg, 47, of Long Beach, Calif., has been a leader in hip-hop.”

According to CBS 2, thousands of people showed up to the all-ages event with traffic backing all the way up into Idaho, but by all accounts the event went off without a hitch, and fun was had by all—including “hip-hop leader Snoop Dogg, 47, Long Beach, California.”

Bang bang, choo-choo train, let me see you shake that thang. Wm. Steven Humphrey is the editor-in-chief of the Portland Mercury and has held the job since 2000. (So don’t get any funny ideas.)