A remarkable event took place at Max Yasgur’s Upstate New York farm back in 1969. That was the Woodstock music and art fair, which is considered as one of the most historical live music festivals. Fifty years later and we can’t help but revisit the event to look back on some of the most memorable moments that came out of it.

A Free Ride To New York City

The Woodstock music festival was held in Bethel, New York, which was a little over 100 miles away from New York City. Those traveling from out of state had to find the means to get to the venue, and when the concert was over, they had to find their way back.

Not everyone had their own vehicles, and therefore, many were looking for ways to get back to NYC. But you’d have to stand out from the crowd to get a free ride as there were thousands of other hitchhikers. Many were even willing to hitch rides in open trunks. Sounds fun, doesn’t it?

Fringing It Up

Fringe is one of those styles that has made many comebacks. In the ’50s Fringe jackets started becoming trendy because of celebrities like Elvis Presley, and in the ’60s the trend returned to its native American roots with more emphasis on the fringe at the bottom of the sleeves and hems, which was originally meant to protect the clothes from soaking the rain.

It was also religiously worn by fans after Jimi Hendrix’s tastes. In fact, the late musician fashioned a white fringe jacket at Woodstock, and he was probably delighted to see others (like the woman in the photo above) wearing similar clothes.

A Head-Turning Outfit

We’re not sure if you noticed this girl before, but she was in another photo with the man with an afro. It looks like she was a popular face among photographers as her blond hair and choice of clothing stood out from the crowd.

In addition to her knitted outfit, her choice to go braless may also have caused a few heads to turn. However, it wasn’t a place of judgment, and seeing as there were crowds who were fully unclothed, she was probably one of the more sane and regular ones.

Janis Joplin – Ball and Chain

Woodstock had heavily advertised Janis Joplin as a headliner, and she performed well into early Sunday morning. She belted out Ball and Chain as her encore song, letting loose as she captivated the audience with an incredible performance. 

The Who band member Pete Townshend had often been quoted saying that Joplin gave a solid performance but the alcohol and heroine prevented her from delivering her best. Joplin got to Woodstock as a solo act, but she had previously been part of the psychedelic band Big Brother. Before the event, she had also performed at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival.

Jimi Hendrix – The  Star-Spangled Banner

Jimi Hendrix was meant to headline the festival, but the delays had him playing on the extended final day. The crowd had dwindled by then to just around 40K people, but Hendrix still made it count. Before reaching the venue, he was apparently overcome with anxiety when he heard that the crowd at the festival had grown to about 400K people because he didn’t particularly like playing for large audiences. 

He chose to move the performance to Monday morning and closed Woodstock with what is still amongst the festival’s most iconic performances. Hendrix delivered a creative rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner, and the recording of the four-minute performance is quite impressive up to this day.

Peace, Love And Flower Power

Woodstock ’69 was a festival known for peace, love, and good music. The historic event attracted over 500K people from around the world who gathered together to celebrate their love for music. It was a non-violent and passive resistance movement known for its symbolism. This picture, with the flower in hand, represents the slogan pretty well.

There are heaps of photos out there that’ll show you couples kissing, hugging, and living their best lives. The one above is no different. For all we know is that the two could’ve been long-time lovers or a pair that found love during the historic show.

Transport And Accommodation In One

With hundreds of thousands of people in attendance, the congestion at the Woodstock festival was unprecedented. Once people entered the borders of the dairy farm where the event was held, all pretenses vanished. It was a place to be real and connect with the outdoors.

Since Woodstock went on for three consecutive days, attendees needed a place to crash, but of course, the venue was no luxury hotel or a resort. There weren’t any comfortable beds or rooms nearby, so a lot of people had to improvise. Take this guy, who is using his motorbike as a bed; that’s what you call ‘killing two birds with one stone.’

Groovy Is The Way To Go

With everything going on in the world and things you hear in the news every day, walking fearlessly into the woods may seem like a bad idea, especially if it was one with peculiar signs all over. However, Woodstock was an event for you to leave all your worries at home.

When those who made it to the concert saw such signs as ‘gentle path highway’ and ‘groovy way,’ which do you think they took? We’re pretty sure it was the latter. After all, there’s no fun in saying no to adventure, is there?

Melanie Safka – Beautiful People

Melanie Safka is an American singer who hadn’t quite gotten a proper taste of fame when she performed at Woodstock in 1969. She was only 22 years old when she got the life-altering opportunity to perform at the historic event. Her time on stage was around 30 minutes, which is still quite impressive.

Some of the songs Safka performed were Close to It All, Beautiful People, and Mr. Tambourine Man. She was one of the three people and the only woman to go solo that day. It was the biggest audience of her life, and she did exceptionally well, which is why she is called “The First Lady of Woodstock,” even today.

Jerry Garcia – Turn On Your Love Light

Jerry Garcia was one of the founding members, lead guitarist and vocalist of the rock band Grateful Dead. Their fans, also known as ‘Deadheads’ were really looking forwards to their performance, but sadly, things didn’t go according to plan.Grateful Dead was one of the 32 acts at Woodstock, but sadly, their performance on the day wasn’t the best.

The scattered rains and flooded stage interfered with their instruments and caused multiple technical difficulties, leading to poor performance. Among the songs they performed were St. Stephen, Mama Tried, and a 38-minute-long version of Turn On Your Lovelight. Garcia posed for the above photo before their appearance.

Young Children

You’d think that hippies were the only ones who enjoyed the concert, but in reality, there were plenty of children accompanied by their parents as well. In fact, according to Time magazine, at least two births were reported during the festival.

What were the parents thinking, bringing the kids to such a wild place? Perhaps some parents wanted their little ones to get a taste of the free world at a young age, or maybe they just couldn’t find a babysitter. Either way, this young girl seems to be enjoying her time, blowing soap bubbles.

Janis Joplin – Kozmic Blues

Janis Joplin had one of the most memorable performances of Woodstock ’69. She was accompanied by the Kozmic Blues Band on stage where they played for an entire hour. The song list included Raise Your Hand, Summertime, and of course, Kozmic Blues.

To match her performance, Joplin fashioned a multi-colored tie-dyed outfit. As you can see, she’s pouring herself a cup of wine to loosen up a little before her big stage moment. Performing in front of 500K+ people can definitely be nerve-racking so we hope that the wine did the trick. Sadly, Joplin passed away only a year later.

Saved By The Tent

Not everyone who came to Woodstock had a contingency plan. However, there were a fraction of attendees who came ready with their camping gear. After all, they couldn’t go three consecutive days without dozing off now, could they? Perhaps it was the families with children.

Either way, those who came prepared were lucky as they had some shelter when the rains poured down on this historic festival. As you can see, the majority of the populace at the event weren’t so lucky. Nevertheless, not every day was as bad as the final one with the most rainfall.

High Up In The Clouds

Hippies and people from pretty much every background were welcome at the Woodstock festival as long as they enjoyed music and were willing to let loose for the weekend. But none of the attendees could have ever thought how much they had in common with each other.

With that said, you should know that drugs and excessive drinking were a significant part of the fun. Seeing as the event was crowded with hippies from around the country, there was an abundance of marijuana at the venue. It was one of the ways they were able to forget about the unpleasant events happening around them in the country.

A Fun Place For The Kiddos

Blowing soap bubbles and judging the adults’ behavior aren’t the only things children had to do to keep themselves entertained. The organizers of the event had probably anticipated children among the attendees which is why they went as far as to set up a children’s playground at the event.

While their parents were living their best life, partying with strangers, the little ones were able to gather in the playground and dance, play, and have their fun. According to History, there was also a kitchen giving out free food and a tent to help people who didn’t want to take part in consuming any drugs.

The View’s Better From The Top

Given that there were half a million people present at the festival, the majority of them were not even close to seeing the performers in their acts. This photo displays the struggle some men went through to try and get a better glimpse of the stage with the artists.

They are taking a risk in climbing the 70-foot sound towers that weren’t built to hold any additional weight. According to its production coordinator John Morris, the collapse of the tower could’ve killed hundreds of people. Luckily, it didn’t. The photographer, Elliott Landy, believed this photo symbolized the ’60s nature where people were trying to reach greater heights in life.

Young, Wild, And Free

Due to the lack of facilities at Woodstock, attendees were forced to get creative and improvise. From seeking shelter during the rain to finding a place to shower to creating make-shift toilets, people needed to find ways to get through three days of non-stop fun. And they wanted to make every experience memorable.

Since people came to live stress- and judgment-free for a couple of days, they managed to have more fun by doing things like building shelters with sticks and hay. This man is the perfect embodiment of the festival’s spirit — carefree, and high on life — as he throws himself onto a large pile of hay.

Oh To Be Young And In Love

As the days ended with the sun setting, the cold breezes of the nights became tough to bear. It’s not like they had fires or camping tents to keep them warm. Since it was a place of love, finding warms hugs and snuggles wasn’t too hard.

As you can see, the couple in this photo are hugging and keeping each other warm as the darkness of the night was setting in. Perhaps they didn’t know each other, but what else is Woodstock about if not making friendships, and maybe something even more?

Come Rain Or Shine

In addition to a jam-packed venue, limited access to food and water, and the lack of facilities, Woodstock attendees had to put up with bouts of rain. Even though the concert got off to a great sunny start, the monsoons quickly changed the mood.

People weren’t ready to leave the party of their life because of the rain and thunderstorms, which is why they found shelter under whatever they could find. You can see a group of people sharing what looks like a large board to keep them dry until the rain gods decided to the thundershower.

Nick Ercoline and Bobbi

Nick Ercoline and Bobbi met in February 1969, and later that year, they went to the most iconic music festival together, completely unaware of the fact it’s going to turn them into mini-celebrities. They were just resting in each other’s arms, under a blanket, looking adorable in love, and Burk Uzzle captured the moment, which later made it to the coverages of Woodstock albums.

Ercoline admits that he had never hitchhiked before this event. But the lad was so smitten by Bobbi that he could not say no, and ultimately had the best time of his life! Thanks to an exciting and adventurous weekend, there were no regrets!

Judy and Jerry Griffin

This is a picture of rainwater soaked Judy and Jerry Griffin, who met here for the first time and promised each other a lifetime of togetherness. Apparently, they had a lot of fun at the Woodstock festival!

On her way to the festival, Judy’s car broke down, and Jerry offered her help. Though it was their first ride together, it sure wasn’t their last! The duo felt an instant connection and decided to attend the party in each other’s company. It might sound unbelievable, but such carnivals are indeed a great place to build long term relationships – Judy and Jerry’s fairy tale story is living proof!

Can’t Rain On My Parade

Even though Woodstock was initially meant to be a three-day event, it dragged on for an extra day. If you wonder why this happened, it’s because of the heavy and inconsistent rain that put a strain on the flow of the concert from time to time.

Since it was held at a farm, the grounds got wet as the rain poured, and people were forced to deal with mud. Surely, the weather conditions weren’t the best to enjoy an outdoor concert. But the attendees weren’t going to let anything rain on their parade — not even the actual rain itself.

A Unique Sunbed

The traffic was a disaster on the days of Woodstock. The vehicles were queuing up on the streets leading to the farm, and worst of all, they weren’t moving. Some people decided to have some fun during the waiting time and play guitar and sing songs on the hood of their cars.

However, this girl thought it was best to clock in some extra sleep as she was only going to have very little to no sleep in the next three days. Since it was a dry day with the sun out, she decided to lie on the top of the car and sleep while soaking in the sun.

The Aftermath

After the historic event was all done and dusted, Max Yasgur’s dairy farm was quite the sight. With half a million people stomping its grounds, calling the place a mess would be an understatement. The farmlands were muddy and had trash scattered all over. Somehow, a photographer caught this man in his lens when people fled and the grounds were almost empty.

By the looks on his face, this young man was upset that the music festival was over and wasn’t ready to say goodbye. The concert promoters managed to clean and return the farm to Yasgur in its original state.

Sly & the Family Stone – I  Want To Take  You Higher

One of the high points at Woodstock was when Sly and the Family Stone performed I Want to Take You Higher. The funk-rock pioneers delivered an energetic soulful performance when they took to the stage on Saturday night going into Sunday.

The dance-ready jam got the crowd grooving, which was even more impressive because it was around 4 a.m in the morning. The band had also released their fourth album titled Stand just a couple of months before the festival. Everyday People was one of their other popular songs that came out of that album.

John Sebastian – Darling Be Home Soon

Musician John Sebastian is best known for founding the ‘60s rock band The Lovin’ Spoonful. Sebastian wasn’t even scheduled to perform at Woodstock and was just helping out backstage. Many claimed that he was under the influence when popular announcer/stage manager Chip Monck asked him to play a number. 

Sebastian later said that he went to Woodstock just as an audience member. He explained that he didn’t turn up with guitars or a road manager and didn’t expect to find himself on stage before the massive crowd. He joked that he only had a toothbrush and a change of clothes.

Jimi Hendrix – The Glitches

Hendrix was booked as a headliner for Woodstock, and he did indeed close the festival in a memorable way. However, his performance also had glitches, much like other artists who graced the event. In his case, the issues seemed to come from his collaborations with vocalist/guitarist Larry Lee.

Lee was supposedly out-of-tune, so he was erased from subsequent recordings of the set. It was the semi-improvised and edited Star-Spangled Banner performance by Hendrix that ultimately made it to the Woodstock film. Those who witnessed what happened on stage that Monday morning described the actual performance as subpar.