The Woodstock Music & Art Festival of 1969 was a representation of the entire late 60s/early 70s era. Nearly half a million concertgoers gathered on Max Yasgur's six hundred acre dairy farm in the rural town of Bethel, New York for "three days of peace and love." The festival, scheduled for August 15-17, ran over into the morning of Monday, August 18. It showcased thirty-two of the best known artists of the day, including Janis Joplin, Grateful Dead, Canned Heat and Jimi Hendrix, who headlined the iconic event. (Click Here for Full Video of Hendrix's performance.) (See full list of acts to the right.) Originally designed as a profit making venture, it quickly became a "free concert" when it became obvious that the event was drawing hundreds of thousands of more people than the organizers had prepared for. Approximately 186,000 tickets were sold beforehand and they anticipated around 200,000 festival-goers. Tickets were sold at eighteen dollars in advance and twenty-four dollars at the gate for all three days. Ultimately, the fence was cut to make it totally free and to prompt more to show up. The event drew people from all corners of the nation, creating an even more crowded New York. One of the large traffic jams closed the New York State Thruway. Despite the nearly half a million people who attended the event, chaos and riots were very small to nonexistent. There were only two recorded fatalities; one from a heroin overdose and another when an occupied sleeping bag in an open field was accidentally run over by a tractor. There were also two recorded births; one in a car caught in traffic on its way to the concert and the other in a helicopter. There were four recorded miscarriages as well. Problems during the festival included poor sanitation, lack of first aid, food shortages and bad weather. Despite those issues, nothing was able to kill the attendees' spirits. The event had taken on a meaning beyond its original intent. Even though it took place during a time of "military conflict abroad and racial discord at home," Woodstock was what some called a "counter cultural mini-nation" for four days. Max Yasgur, the owner of the property that the concert was held on, described it as "a victory of peace and love." (Click here for a video of Max Yasgur speaking at the festival.) There have been many attempts to recreate the festival, but the original has proven to be unique and legendary. A documentary of Woodstock directed by Michael Wadleigh won an Oscar in 1971 for Best Documentary, and was also nominated for two other Oscars the same year, Best Film Editing and Best Sound. (See box on the right for more information on the film.) It was also ranked as one of Rolling Stone's 50 moments that changed the history or rock & roll. (Click here to view the article.) In the words of David Crosby, "Describing Woodstock as the "big bang," I think that's a great way to describe it, because the important thing about it wasn't how many people were there or that it was a lot of truly wonderful music that got played."
(Click here for a video clip on the Woodstock Festival.)
(Click here for a video clip on the Woodstock Festival.)
The late 1960's - early '70's. The "hippie era." A time when minds were open, drugs were abundant and love was free. The Bohemian dress, behavior and attitude could be seen anywhere, especially at the Woodstock festival. (Click here to learn more about the Bohemian style.) These historic years were full of activism and social change, which is, in a sense, what Woodstock was all about. People of that time had an outlook on life that is difficult to find in today's society. This specific event may not have changed America. What it did was take everything that the era stood for and pack it into one unforgettable event. The people had hopes for peace and equality amidst a war-torn nation, which is one of the most, if not the most important reason why this era was so iconic. These hopes were what made Woodstock such a memorable occasion. People put aside their differences and came together for a few days of harmony. Woodstock was a four day portrayal of the entire time period of the late 60's/early 70's; peaceful, happy, united and joyful. John Lennon said, "The thing the sixties did was show us the possibilities and the responsibility that we all had. It wasn't the answer. It just gave us a glimpse of the possibility."
