WeekInTime Issue 109: Woodstock

The Woodstock Music and Art Fair kicks off in 1969

Thirty-two musicians took to the stage for a three-day event filled with peace, love, and music. Thousands of Boomers traveled to a field in the middle of upstate New York to take part in an event that would define a generation. This week in time, the Woodstock Music and Art Fair kicked off in Bethel, New York. 

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Swami Satchidananda delivers the opening address at the Woodstock Music and Art Fair

The Start of an Idea

It was the summer of 1969 (yes, when I met you) and four visionaries came together to organize a groundbreaking festival. John Roberts, Joel Rosenman, Artie Kornfeld, and Michael Lang were inspired by the countercultural movement—not to mention the opportunity to make a large pile of cash—and envisioned a large-scale gathering where music could transcend all boundaries. 

The four men created Woodstock Ventures, Inc. and set out to market “An Aquarian Experience” (fair to say they understood their audience), gaining early credibility after signing Creedence Clearwater Revival as one of the acts. Soon a lineup of some of the era’s most famous musicians was ready to grace the Woodstock stage.

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Traffic jams on the way to Woodstock. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons, James M Shelley

Almost Fyre Festival

They had the idea, the guts, the marketing, and the performers, but organizing Woodstock would prove to be anything but easy. At first, the group managed to secure a venue for the festival in Wallkill, New York. But as news spread about the event, folks in Wallkill changed their minds. Determined to avoid a flood of hippies descending on their town, they changed their required permits, forcing Woodstock Ventures Inc. to move on.

As the date of the festival loomed, the organizers finally came across Max Yasgur, a dairy farmer in Bethel, New York. Yasgur agreed to loan his farm to the cause (naturally for a fee). With only one month away, the organizers were finally able to begin setting up their event. But by mid-August around 50,000 people had already arrived for the festival. With no ticket booths or fences to manage the crowd, the organizers were left with no choice. Woodstock would be a free event.