Who / What
Woodstock refers to a three-day music festival held in August 1969 at Max Yasgur's dairy farm near Bethel, New York. It was organized by Joel Rosenbaum under the name "The Woodstock International Pop Music Festival" and hosted numerous artists for an audience of over 400,000 people during a pivotal moment in counterculture history.
Background & History
Woodstock emerged from a desire to create a peaceful outdoor gathering celebrating music, art, and communal values among young Baby Boomers reacting against mainstream culture. Organizer Joel Rosenbaum initially proposed it as an "Aquarian Exposition: 3 Days of Peace & Music" event on Max Yasgur's farm near the village of White Pine in Sullivan County (though the festival became known by its location). The four-day event, including the day before the official start date, took place over August 15th to 18th, 1969.
Why Notable
Woodstock achieved immense notoriety due to its unprecedented scale and cultural significance during a turbulent era in American society. It represented the quintessential ideal of the counterculture movement with its focus on peace, love, music, and hippie values amidst growing social unrest and anti-establishment sentiment. The festival's lasting legacy lies in defining an era (the "Woodstock generation"), influencing subsequent generations, and becoming a symbol of large-scale communal events often marked by both harmony and chaos.
In the News
The 50th anniversary commemorations in August 2019 generated significant media attention, revisiting the festival's cultural impact and complex historical legacy. The event continues to be remembered as one of the most defining cultural moments of the late 1960s/early 1970s, with ongoing discussions about its lasting influence on music, society, and subsequent generations' perceptions of peace movements and large-scale gatherings.
