Woodstock was originally billed as “An Aquarian Exposition: 3 Days of Peace & Music” when it took place from Aug. 15-18, 1969, on Max Yasgur’s farm in Bethel, N.Y.
Today, Woodstock is remembered not just for the music, but also for the spirit it engendered. A larger-than-anticipated audience estimated at 500,000 people created a traffic jam that shut down the New York State Thruway and turned it into a free event. It famously remained peaceful as the crowd endured a rainstorm, a lack of resources and bad brown acid.
Attempts to recreate the atmosphere of Woodstock have largely fallen flat, beginning with the Rolling Stones’ disastrous Altamont concert that December. In 1994, Woodstock’s organizers staged another festival, one that was better equipped to handle a large crowd. But the vibes weren’t the same, with a near-riot taking place in the mosh pit at the front of the stage during Green Day’s set.
But the original remains a cultural touchstone of the hippie idealism of the late ’60s and the power of rock music, as you’ll see below in Woodstock Photos: 50 Great Shots From the Original Festival.
