40 Rare and Incredible Color Photographs That Capture Scenes of the Woodstock Music & Art Fair in August 1969 (2024)

FAQs

What was the purpose of the Woodstock Music and Arts Fair? ›

Woodstock was an opportunity for people to escape into music and spread a message of unity and peace. Although the crowd at Woodstock experienced bad weather, muddy conditions and a lack of food, water and adequate sanitation, the overall vibe there was harmonious.

The event represented the counterculture because of the themes of the music played, the drugs, and what the people believed in. This went against the conventional ideas of following the government, religious devotion, and the "American Dream".

In 1969, America was deeply into the controversial Vietnam War, a conflict which many young people were strongly against, and the civil rights movement. Woodstock was a chance for those struggling with modern life to escape into music and community while spreading a message of unity and peace.

Despite rumors of multiple births occurring at Woodstock, no evidence can support the claim that any children were born during the festival. Woodstock cost an estimated $3 million to fund, but turned only a $1.8 million profit. It took festival organizers years to pay off debts incurred during the festival.

Woodstock Summer Concert Series 2024 Season is a mix of music genres. The hits you'll hear on the Northside Hospital-Cherokee Amphitheater stage this year span music eras from the 60s to today. From metal to grunge, from familiar chart-toppers to honky tonk anthems, the 2024 Season has something for every music fan!

It was a peaceful movement; no guns, no vandalism, no violence were used to promote the unity and peace asked for. This was the beginning of music as a means of protest. The image of thousands of people gathered together, vibing and singing under the name of peace, made people consider the unifying power of music.

No use of force was shown by State Police and only 109 arrest were made on the property. Of those arrests, only four were for violations aside from illegal drugs.

John Morris, in charge of operations at the festival, said a batch of LSD was being passed round. Marijuana was also being used. Others were suffering from intestinal troubles. Three emergency tracheotomies were performed in the hospital.

Woodstock had great influence in the pop culture of the late 60s and early 70s. It provided a soundtrack to the civil unrest sweeping the US. It provided a sense of unity through music for teens and twenty-somethings.

The following is a (near complete) list of the bands and artists that played Woodstock, along with the amount of their paychecks. According to this list, Hendrix was the highest-paid performer raking in $18k, which, in 2023, is equivalent to approximately $125k.

Was Woodstock 69 really peaceful? ›

There were plenty of people who had a bad time or a bad trip, as well as one person who died of a drug overdose and another who died from being run over by a tractor in his sleep. But despite Woodstock's extremely poor conditions, the crowds remained relatively peaceful and nonviolent.

The Woodstock Music & Art Fair was a Festival held in Bethel, New York on August 15 - 18, 1969. There were 32 acts that performed at the festival. The Beatles were invited, but were finishing up work on their album Abbey Road (which would be completed on August 20), so they did not attend.

What the festival did not give birth to were any babies. That's right: There were no babies born at Woodstock. That's right: There were no babies born at Woodstock. In the late 1980s, during the research for my book, Woodstock: The Oral History, I searched everywhere, and talked to everyone else who searched.

Joan Baez has continued to perform and has been a constant activist and promoter of peace. In 2013, she performed at Bethel Woods. She was accompanied by her son, Gabe who she was pregnant with during her Woodstock performance. She was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017.

While the masses danced naked in the mud, this folk heroine preached about politics and avoided eating anything suspicious.

In August 1969, the Woodstock Music & Art Fair took place on a dairy farm in Bethel, NY. Over half a million people came to a 600-acre farm to hear 32 acts (leading and emerging performers of the time) play over the course of four days (August 15-18).

One of the most memorable music festivals during this time was the Woodstock Music and Art Festival. This highly disorganized three-day-long concert was the epitome of counterculture--from the clothes attendees wore to the anti-war messages performed by the singers.

Its full name was The Woodstock Music and Art Fair. It took place on a farm property in Bethel, New York, August 15–18, 1969. Woodstock was organized by four inexperienced promoters who managed to sign rock acts that included Jimi Hendrix, Sly and the Family Stone, the Who, and the Grateful Dead.

Woodstock took place during the controversial Vietnam War, when many young people wanted to spread the message of peace. The audience consisted of mainly young people in hippies living by the slogan Make Love not War.