This week marks the 40th anniversary of The Woodstock Music & Art Fair. In commemoration of the “3 days of Peace & Music”, I offer Stuff Every Man Should Know about Woodstock.
Date: August 15-18, 1969
Location: Max Yasgur’s 600 acre dairy farm in Bethel, NY (over 40 miles from the actual town of Woodstock)
Attendance: 300,000+ people
Acts: 32 acts (Creedence Clearwater Revival was the first act to sign)
How it began: John Roberts and Joel Rosenman offered the financing to Michael Lang and Artie Kornfeld with the initial idea of creating a retreat-like recording studio in Woodstock, NY. From the early discussions emerged the idea of an outdorr music and arts festival.
Tickets for the event cost $18 in advance and $24 at the gate. The event quickly turned into a ‘free concert’ when the anticipated 50,000 people turned into 300,000. Fans started showing up days ahead of the event and the event planners couldn’t control it, nor did they try. Despite traffic jams, steady rain, muddy roads, and insufficient sanitation and first aid, the event lived up to its billing of “peace and music”.
Click here for a full list of performers and events. The Doors, Bob Dylan, and Led Zeppelin were among the notable acts that declined the invitation to perform.
As we celebrate the 40th anniversary, the Yasgur Farm still receives visitors. A plaque commemorating the event has been placed at the original site. In the middle of the field is a totem pole with the images of Jimi Hendrix, Jerry Garcia, and Janis Joplin.
Peace and love…brc
