With thousands of fans making the pilgrimage to Max Yasgur’s dairy farm (the site of the Woodstock Music and Art Fair), those traveling by car soon found themselves stuck in unbearable traffic due to closed roads.
At a certain point, many fans (like the people in this photo) simply parked their cars and chose to walk to the festival. Soon, thousands of concertgoers were making the trip to the farm on foot. This person looks like he’s ready to join these adventurous fans, at least, as soon as he wakes up from his nap!
Impromptu Picnic
It’s estimated that almost half a million people made the trek to a dairy farm in rural Bethel, New York for the infamous Woodstock Music and Arts Fair. With so many people traveling in the same direction, it’s no surprise that the traffic soon came to a standstill.
Tired of waiting in stop-and-go traffic going towards the fairgrounds, this group of young people decided to take a bit of a lunch break with this roadside picnic. Judging by their relaxed expressions, we’re sure they preferred to be sitting by the road instead of inside a stuffy car.
A Pensive Moment
Though the Woodstock Music Festival is largely remembered as a positive and peaceful moment in music history and of the ‘60s, it wasn’t always fun.
The promoters of the concert originally thought that only 50,000 people would attend. Ultimately, that number swelled to close to half a million! So many people and rainy bad weather made for an extremely muddy and less-than-sanitary situation. We’re not sure exactly why this woman, named Pat McLean from nearby Massachusetts, looks like she has something heavy on her mind. Perhaps she regrets attending the infamous festival?
Picture Perfect
Though known more for music, the Woodstock Music Festival was originally envisioned as a place to debut different mediums of art and was billed as “An Aquarian Experience: 3 Days of Peace and Music'' by promoters.
One of the most memorable installations in the concert was a photo exhibit by acclaimed photographer and filmmaker, Ralph Ackerman. Ackerman’s coverage of the Woodstock festival has been displayed in countless films and photo exhibitions. If you’ve seen an image from this memorable concert (including this one!), there’s a good chance Ralph Ackerman was behind the camera!
A Memorable Movement
With his unique style and voice, it’s no wonder that musician Sly Stone was asked to perform at the 1969 Woodstock festival. His band, Sly and the Family Stone was known for their diversity featuring people of different ethnicities and men and women equally rocking out.
With hits like “Dance to the Music” and “Everyday People,” the band was one of the most anticipated acts to perform at Woodstock. While this performance propelled Sly and the Family Stone to international fame, it, unfortunately, led to the band's disbandment and substance issues for Sly.