Making Music
There was plenty of music happening at Woodstock--both on stage and off.
There's no telling what these two actually sounded like, but they seem to be having a good time regardless.
The Woodstock Monkey
This definitely has to be the most unusual pet spotted at Woodstock.
Let's just hope the monkey made smart decisions and didn't do anything illegal.
Roughing It
There definitely weren't many people who were afraid of getting dirty at Woodstock.
Clothing might have been optional, but mud most certainly was not!
The Faces Behind Woodstock
Woodstock took place on a dairy farm owned by Max and Miriam Yasgur.
Here, the couple poses for a picture while clean up of their land is happening after the festival.
Rock On
There were no shortage of famous musicians that performed at the original Woodstock.
This included 60s band Jefferson Airplane, pictured here.
Standing Room Only
Some people have claimed that over 1 million people attended Woodstock.
While those numbers might be a little high, this was clearly not a place where you went to get away from people.
Showtime
British musician Joe Cocker was yet another big-time musician at the time to perform at Woodstock.
Cocker and his crew made it to the site via helicopter because of the large crowds that had already arrived.
Decked Out
Cars covered in hippie-inspired slogans were not a rarity at Woodstock.
It might have looked cool at the time, but hopefully that came off easily when it was time to sell the car!
Rainy Days
Several storms hit the Woodstock area during the course of the festival, but people didn't let that ruin their fun.
Sometimes all you needed was a piece of cardboard and a few friends to stay dry.
Did He Buy a Ticket?
No, you're not tripping. That's actually a sheep attending Woodstock.
Unfortunately, he was more a Country/Western fan.
Folk Hero
Folk musician Joan Baez was the closing act on the first day of Woodstock.
Although, technically, she didn't begin performing until the early hours of the second day of music.
Unexpected Guests
These two look like they're having a blast just hanging out in the trunk of a car.
Hopefully they found somewhere a little more comfortable to sleep, though.
Woodstock Tickets
Here we have tickets from the original Woodstock festival.
Best of luck finding a three-day music festival these days that only costs $24!
Guitar Royalty
These days, people are much more familiar with guitarist Carlos Santana and his eponymous band.
However, when they performed at Woodstock, they were virtually unheard of at the time.
Blowing Bubbles
Who needs world-class musicians when you've got some bubbles?
Clearly this Woodstock festival goer felt the same way.
Rain, Rain Go Away
A plastic tarp might not be luxurious, but when it rains as much as it did at Woodstock, that's irrelevant.
You've got to work with what you've got.
Woodstock at Night
If you thought the Woodstock crowds looked crazy during the day, just wait until you see them at night!
It almost felt like its own little world.
Medical Tent
In this photo, two men recieve treatment in a medical tent.
Despite the huge crowds, there were only two deaths reported at the festival.
Guitarist Tom Fogerty
Creedence Clearwater Revival was at the peak of their game when they took the stage at the original Woodstock and were actually the first group to sign on to the event...all for a paltry $10,000!
Guitarist Tom Fogerty is pictured in this image of their performance. In 2019, the group released the album Live at Woodstock, which was a live album of their performance all those decades ago.
Enjoying the Show
Woodstock attendees had to quickly learn how to get up close and personal with their fellow concertgoers, as open space was a rarity at the event!
It's estimated that more than 400,000 people attended the original Woodstock, but that number has fluctuated over the years. Regardless, the place was packed!
Questionable Construction
We're not denying that Woodstock was probably a good time, but was it a safe time? The speakers seem to be sitting pretty precariously in this photo!
According to attendees, safety was not a particularly important priority during the event. Concertgoers frequently saw electrical wires hanging out in mud puddles, and the rainy weather ensured that every surface was slick and dangerous.
Hanging Out
For attendees, Woodstock was an amazing time. We imagine that many people at the festival just enjoyed the weekend hanging out and hearing great music like these two guys did.
However, it was quite a stressful time for organizers! Money issues almost led to the festival being canceled halfway through the event. Who knew it cost so much to let people chill in the mud?
The Swami Speaks
Woodstock may have been a weekend of music for most, but it was a spiritual experience for some. In this photo, we see Sri Swami Satchidananda opening the event with remarks to a large crowd.
His statement addressed the power of music and was followed by a group chant.
Making a Buck
Hippies might have seen Woodstock as an opportunity to express peace and love, but some savvy people saw the festival as an opportunity to make a quick buck!
In this photo, we see a group of Woodstock locals selling hot dogs and soda to hungry concertgoers. Considering that access to food was a recurring problem for the event, we imagine these guys did pretty well for themselves.
Snuggled Up
Unfortunately for concertgoers, the weather wasn't very agreeable during the weekend of the original Woodstock.
While temps started out in the 80s, they quickly dropped thanks to frequent rain storms. Nothing says peace and love like being cold and soaked to the bone!
Too Much Fun
People partying too hard at Woodstock? Can you imagine such a ridiculous thing? As crazy as it sounds, there were plenty of people who overindulged at the festival.
Case in point: these two guys! Let's hope they got home safely after enjoying such an uncomfortable nap!
Pants: Don't Leave Home Without Them
Hollywood wasted no time in making a buck off the Woodstock craze. Despite the festival only taking place in August of 1969, Warner Bros. had produced an Oscar-winning documentary musical about it by 1970.
In this still from the documentary, we simply and hilariously see people selling jeans. Considering all the mud at Woodstock, it might have been nice to have a spare pair waiting for you in your tent!
Sitting Around
Logistically, Woodstock was a bit of a nightmare. Nothing started on time or ran according to plan for most of the weekend.
In this photo, we see two guys doing what a lot of people had to do at Woodstock...sit around and wait. At least they've got that cool van!
A Mini Museum
Woodstock might have been primarily about the music, but you could find arts of all kinds at this creative festival.
In this photo, we see a woman looking at photographs in a makeshift art museum. The pictures were taken by photographer Ralph Ackerman, an artist and anti-war activist, who set up his collection on a fence outside the festival.
Group Hug
Considering that Woodstock was mostly hippies ingesting God-knows-what, it's not surprising that lots of concertgoers were really feeling the love.
Why this group hug got started, we'll never know, but these bros are clearly happy about something!
"Crafts" for Sale
There was no shortage of people attempting to sell their wares at Woodstock, but this has to be the worst of the worst. Maybe arts and crafts aren't your destiny.
Those things hanging are allegedly candles, but we're not convinced. It's kind of impressive that they managed to make candles look actively unappealing, but we're still not buying one of those disgusting things!
Hog Farmers
The Hog Farm is one of the longest-running hippie communes in the country, and the group played a major role at Woodstock. They were hired to build trails and fire pits for the event and also set up a kitchen.
This photo was taken of two members of the Hog Farm who famously drove multiple buses to Woodstock.
One Long Line
While the exact number of attendees has never been determined, it's safe to say that hundreds of thousands of people attended the original Woodstock festival. And it turns out that logistics for that many people can get tricky quickly.
This aerial view of the line waiting to get into the festival proves just that! Cars were backed up and parked along the side of the road for miles leading up to the grounds.
A Puppet Show
Sure, you could see major names like Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, and Creedence Clearwater Revival at Woodstock, but don't forget about the puppet shows, either!
While we wouldn't have personally ever thought to put on a puppet show at Woodstock, we're not entirely surprised that a hippie came up with this wacky idea.
Even More Busses
We're not sure why Woodstock was such a school bus magnet, but there was no shortage of them at the festival. Sure, they're convenient for transporting a bunch of people, but what's with all the weird paint jobs?
This was another bus that the Hog Farmer commune brought in with them, and it was located near the "free" stage where musicians and festivalgoers could jam with one another.
Staying Dry
A plastic tarp tent doesn't sound like the most luxurious way to spend the weekend, but when you consider how rainy it was at the original Woodstock, these might have been the only place you could stay dry!
We're not exactly sure what's going on with this painting, but that's definitely not what we would want to see before we drifted off to sleep!
Meher Baba Tent
Meher Baba was an Indian mystic who claimed to be an avatar of God who got popular with American hippie types in the 1960s. While he died at the beginning of 1969, he still made an appearance at Woodstock.
In this photo, festivalgoers have set up a tent to discuss Meher Baba and his teachings. He may have been gone, but his words were clearly still important to some people.
Who?
Does it get more Woodstock than this: The Who posing in front of a psychedelic school bus? They were one of the big draws of the festival, and their performance did not disappoint!
Because of scheduling problems at the festival, their Saturday night show actually ended up being a Sunday morning sunrise show, which led to some amazing scenes of the band rocking out as the sun rose.
Crosby, Stills, and Nash
In this photo, we get a shot of guitarist Stephen Stills (of Crosby, Stills, and Nash) rocking out during their performance at Woodstock.
This performance marked one of their first public appearances as a musical trio. The group actually ended up performing two sets: one that was acoustic and one that was electrified.
Back to the Real World
All good things must come to an end, and Woodstock finally called it quits on Monday, August 18th, 1969. However, getting back to the real world was a little complicated.
As with the journey to Woodstock, the journey back to civilization involved lots of slow-moving walkers and vehicles blocking the way.