If everyone who said they were at the original Woodstock Festival really had been there, it would have been a WHOLE lot bigger than 400,000. The following story is mine, and it's true.
I grew up about 20 miles from Max Yasgur's farm, in Sullivan County NY. We started hearing about this festival in July. Promotors had originally planned it to be near the town of Woodstock , and started perparing the site. Weeks before the date, the city fathers kinda freaked out and cancelled the permit. Up steps Max Yasgur, who said he thought his dairy farm might be a good location.
He certainly was right. I remember going up there in July, watching hippies on giant earth moving equipment building the stage and erecting the " pink and white tent". It was very cool and as we got closer to the date, more and more kids were coming into the area.
My friend Danny and I got tickets for Friday, and started towards the concert around 2 PM. My dad had heard " there was a little traffic", so he sent us on a roundabout way. We got to within 5 miles of the site, and hit bumper to bumper stopped traffic. ( At this point, all we knew was it was crowded), and we decided to forget it and just head home.
Later that night, we watched the news and realized exactly what was happening in our backyard. That Saturday, locals gathered in community centers, churches and synogogues and made sandwiches to airlift to the site. After all, these were visitors to our resort community. The nearest town, Monticello, did a very cool thing. They allowed people who couldn't get to the site to camp there overnight and we set up a free food line there.
That's where I spent the weekend. SoI didn't hear the music, but was a part of the entire experience anyway.
Over the years, I would bring friends to see the site and was very pleased to see that the latest owner had respected the site when he built a museum and performing arts center on the property. He left the field alone, built the museum at the top of the hill and the ampitheater on the other side of the hill. Check it out at Bethel Woods .
And now, we're heading back for the 40th anniversary concert, featuring many of the original acts! It's hard to believe it's been 40 years, especially since I'm only 35!
Check out THIS line-up! I promise to blog about it.
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I grew up about 20 miles from Max Yasgur's farm, in Sullivan County NY. We started hearing about this festival in July. Promotors had originally planned it to be near the town of Woodstock , and started perparing the site. Weeks before the date, the city fathers kinda freaked out and cancelled the permit. Up steps Max Yasgur, who said he thought his dairy farm might be a good location.
He certainly was right. I remember going up there in July, watching hippies on giant earth moving equipment building the stage and erecting the " pink and white tent". It was very cool and as we got closer to the date, more and more kids were coming into the area.
My friend Danny and I got tickets for Friday, and started towards the concert around 2 PM. My dad had heard " there was a little traffic", so he sent us on a roundabout way. We got to within 5 miles of the site, and hit bumper to bumper stopped traffic. ( At this point, all we knew was it was crowded), and we decided to forget it and just head home.
Later that night, we watched the news and realized exactly what was happening in our backyard. That Saturday, locals gathered in community centers, churches and synogogues and made sandwiches to airlift to the site. After all, these were visitors to our resort community. The nearest town, Monticello, did a very cool thing. They allowed people who couldn't get to the site to camp there overnight and we set up a free food line there.
That's where I spent the weekend. SoI didn't hear the music, but was a part of the entire experience anyway.
Over the years, I would bring friends to see the site and was very pleased to see that the latest owner had respected the site when he built a museum and performing arts center on the property. He left the field alone, built the museum at the top of the hill and the ampitheater on the other side of the hill. Check it out at 
