This was the place to be that summer.
The largest rock concert ever conceived was coming to town. This was going to be a "serious" party!!.
Months to plan the trip. Save some money. Create believable lies for parents, bosses, loved and unloved ones. Round up your travel buddies or lover and hit the road.
"PARTY!!" .
Upstate New York was ready. The city, county, and state officials knew what to expect and felt confident in their abilities to handle traffic, crowd control, sanitation, medical emergencies, and any unexpected problems. They were prepared.500,000 guests! .
Photos reprinted through courtesy of Jean Young & Michael Lang.
("Woodstock Festival Revisited").
And the Guest List. How about.Anti-War ProtestersVietnam VetsBlack MilitantsRednecksAnti-GaysGays/LesbiansLegalize Drugs advocates Ban Drugs advocatesAnti-Government advocates Pro-Government advocates and The "I'm Just Here For The Music" GroupSo what happened??.
Let's give them 3 days of little or no sleep.
Lack of food. .
Sparse sanitation facilities. .
Drugs and alcohol. .
Constant worries such as. .
Where are my friends? .
Where is the car? .
Let's toss in heavy rain and then.Cancel out many of the controls and services provided by the government! .
On the negative side, according to police reports, there were 2 deaths (but there were also 2 births!). .
Although there were more than a few drug busts, there were no reports of burglary or violent crime in the surrounding communities. (Trespassing was a definite problem though and one judge did get his lights knocked out!). .
On the positive side, 500,000 young citizens were virtually left on their own and discovered the words Sharing, Helping, Consideration, and Respect to be very powerful. .
Thousands left the Woodstock event with a totally different outlook on life. .
And through it all,.
Joan Baez .
Arlo Guthrie.
Tim Hardin.
Incredible String Band.
Ravi Shankar.
Richie Havens.
Sly and the Family Stone.
Bert Sommer.
Sweetwater.
Quill.
