Vintage Photos From Woodstock Festival

Published

5 years ago

September 15, 2019

The Woodstock Music & Art Fair was held over three days in New York state on a dairy farm during August 15th-17th, 1969. Over 400,000 fans attended and 32 acts performed during the sometimes rainy weekend outside.

Jimi Hendrix was the last act to perform at the festival and due to the rain delays he did not take to the stage until 8:30am Monday morning. Click Start Slideshow to enjoy the journey through this collection of Woodstock photos.

Slim Predictions

The organizers estimated that turn-out would be around 50,000. This ended up being a monumental underestimate, as the final number rounded out to about 400,000!

Shenanigans

No doubt all of the substances going around caused the concertgoers to feel a bit too groovy! Here one of them jumps off a wooden structure into a pile of hay.

Slim Pickings

The high volume of people didn’t allow sufficient amenities to be available, and many had to make do with what little they had. Some even resorted to bathing in the closest river.

Stocking Up

Medical supplies ended up being choppered in by helicopters. The event workers had to then transport the supplies.

Preparation

The sound crew had to be lifted up by crane to their workstations in jerry-rigged barrels before the festival started.

Crosby

On day #3, as more and more people flooded the fairgrounds, David Crosby took to the stage.

Medical Care

Woodstock even had its own built-in hospital! Many of the women set up tents to take care of any injuries.

Human Jam

There was quite a bit of difficulty with that massive volume of people descending on one place. As such, getting into town proved quite hectic.

Miss Woodstock

Despite having no knowledge of Woodstock until a few days prior, Janis Joplin was announced as one of the top headliners. During her ten-hour wait to perform on stage, she got a bit inebriated and had a hard time performing. Those in attendance didn’t care, as they screamed for an encore after her performance.

Birds of a Feather

In order to take care of the flocks of people in attendance, many of the concertgoers came together and cooked food.

Safety Protocol

Even when people had issues during the event, ambulances were unable to reach them due to the high volume of traffic. Good thing those medical supplies came in by helicopter!

Come One Come All

When people began pouring in by the thousands, event organizers eventually decided to just offer free admission.

Legalize It

The plea for marijuana legalization hasn’t died off since the 60s!

Most Popular Performers of the Day

On top of the high-desired singers of that time such as Hendrix being present, Carlos Santana and David Brown were also some of the big performers there.

The Who

Following Janis Joplin’s shaky-but-riveting performance, The Who was up next to stir up the crowd.

Traffic Jam

Traffic heading into the fairgrounds was so thick that many were forced to abandon their cars. Some just put it into park and sat on their hoods jamming out to music.

Miles of Denim

The current style was so particular at that time that there was a combined 10 million yards of striped shirts and jeans at the event.

Sleeping Arrangements

Hotels were all booked up and many people didn’t bring tents, so those less-fortunate were compelled to find shut eye by other means.

No Hotels? That’s What Cars Are For

In light of the lack of sleeping accommodations, many people returned to their abandoned vehicles to find shelter to rest.

Bike Luck

Though parking ended up being quite an issue for those with cars, those who brought their motorcycles found it far easier to maneuver around the grounds.

Kiddos

A common misconception about Woodstock is that there were no children present, when in fact there were a good number of kids there.

Little Rest For the Weary

I can only imagine the difficulty in falling asleep at a rambunctious event such as Woodstock – though I imagine that the booze helped out with that!

Peace

Peace was more than just a slogan at Woodstock – it was a way of life! No accounts of violence were reported during the entire event. Which is very shocking considering the sheer volume of alcohol and people that were in effect.

No Cause For Alarm

Nelson Rockefeller, the governor of New York, was apparently so nervous about the massive crowds that he considered sending in the National Guard.

400,000

Though original predictions estimated around 50,000, the final amount of unwashed hippies that piled into the fairgrounds ended up being around 400,000!

A Time of Connecting

You would assume that an event such as this would have had its fair share of complications and clashing of temperaments, but Woodstock actually produced positive vibes and personal connection between those in attendance.

When Out of Luck. . .

Since room accommodations were a bit on the scarce side, people resorted to creative ingenuity – true “stick-built” homes!

Sly

Sly Stone of Sly & the Family Stone was among the many featured artists who performed.

Where Have All the Flowers Gone?

Woodstock was a time when people joined together harmoniously, and that included many young and eager couples who shared in the joy together.

Last-Minute Merch

There was no official Woodstock merchandise available, but some people capitalized on the juggernaut success of the event and set up their own stands.

Santana

Santana was a completely unknown band before they took the stage at Woodstock. A month following their performance, their debut album peaked at #4 on the US Billboard 200 chart.

Taking the Bus

To help with the lodging predicament, several buses decorated in hippie artwork were used to shelter people.

Gaining a Better Vantage Point

With such high volume of people, some spectators took to the scaffolding to get a better view.

Directions

Many people took to the woods surrounding the concert grounds, and event workers had to create signage that kept up with the event’s themes.

Hangin’ Out

This couple was fortunate enough to have their van with them to camp out in (and also a sword to ward off any trespassers).

Fun in the Mud

Concertgoers were caught by surprise when a rainstorm decided to descend on the grounds. But they decided to make the best of it!

Getting Close Backstage

Grace Slick and Jefferson Airplane used their downtime backstage to really get to know each other.

Music Everywhere

Music was issuing from every corner of the festival, both onstage and off!

Up On Top

Those with willing friends were able to get an even greater view of the concert.

Getting Political

There were many protestors at Woodstock, though there was never any violence that erupted. Take note, modern-day protestors!

Getting Through

Only the fortunate few were lucky enough to get their vehicles through the onslaught of traffic.

Yoga

Certain areas were segmented off for the sole purpose of providing yoga exercises.

Bussing

The hippies of Woodstock would climb anything.

Enjoying the Scenery

Not everyone at Woodstock appeared homely, as there were quite a few very attractive-looking ladies in attendance!

Spiritual Stimulation

Woodstock was a time for inner peace and enlightenment as much as it was for getting high and feeling groovy.

The Owners

The fairgrounds in New York state where Woodstock took place was owned by Max and Miriam Yasgur.

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