Woodstock Festival

Woodstock Woodstock Festival was a music festival, billed as "An Aquarian Exposition: 3 Days of Peace & Music", held at Max Yasgur's 600-acre (2.4 km²; 240 ha, 0.94 mi²) dairy farm near the hamlet of White Lake in the town of Bethel, New York, from August 15 to August 18, 1969. Bethel, in Sullivan County, is 43 miles (69 km) southwest of the town of Woodstock, New York, in adjoining Ulster County.

During the sometimes rainy weekend, thirty-two acts performed outdoors in front of 500,000 concert-goers. It is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most pivotal moments in popular music history and was listed among Rolling Stone's 50 Moments That Changed the History of Rock and Roll.

The event was captured in the successful 1970 documentary movie Woodstock, an accompanying soundtrack album, and Joni Mitchell's song "Woodstock" which commemorated the event and became a major hit for Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young.

Performing artists:
Friday, August 15

* Richie Havens

* Swami Satchidananda

* Sweetwater

* The Incredible String Band

* Bert Sommer

* Tim Hardin

* Ravi Shankar

* Melanie

* Arlo Guthrie

* Joan Baez

Saturday, August 16

* Quill

* Keef Hartley Band

* Country Joe McDonald

* John Sebastian

* Santana

* Canned Heat

* Mountain

* Grateful Dead

* Creedence Clearwater Revival

* Janis Joplin with The Kozmic Blues Band

* Sly & the Family Stone

* The Who

* Jefferson Airplane

Sunday, August 17 to Monday, August 18

* The Grease Band

* Joe Cocker

* Country Joe and the Fish

* Ten Years After

* The Band

* Blood, Sweat & Tears

* Johnny Winter featuring his brother, Edgar Winter

* Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

* Paul Butterfield Blues Band

* Sha-Na-Na

* Jimi Hendrix

Woodstock 40th anniversary:

There was worldwide media interest in the 40th anniversary of Woodstock in 2009. A number of activities to commemorate the festival took place around the world. On August 15, at the Bethel Center for the Arts overlooking the original site, the largest assembly of Woodstock performing alumni since the original 1969 festival performed in an eight-hour concert in front of a sold-out crowd. Hosted by Country Joe McDonald, the event opened with 15-year-old guitarist Conrad Oberg, who re-created Jimi Hendrix’s The Star-Spangled Banner. The concert featured Big Brother and the Holding Company performing Janis Joplin's hits (she actually appeared with the Kozmic Blues Band at Woodstock, although that band did feature former Big Brother guitarist Sam Andrew), Canned Heat, Ten Years After, Jefferson Starship, Mountain and the headliners, The Levon Helm Band. At Woodstock, Levon Helm played drums and was one of the lead vocalists with The Band. Paul Kantner was the only member of the 1969 Jefferson Airplane line-up to appear with Jefferson Starship. Tom Constanten, who played keyboard with Grateful Dead at Woodstock, joined Jefferson Starship on stage for several numbers. Jocko Marcellino from Sha Na Na also appeared, backed up by Canned Heat. Richie Havens, who opened the Woodstock festival in 1969, appeared at a separate event the previous night.[48]Crosby, Stills & Nash and Arlo Guthrie also marked the anniversary with live performances at Bethel earlier in August 2009.
Another event occurred in Hawkhurst, Kent (UK), at a Summer of Love party, with acts including two of the participants at the original Woodstock, Barry Melton of Country Joe and the Fish and Robin Williamson of The Incredible String Band, plus cover bands for Santana and the Grateful Dead.
Also in 2009, Woodstock creator, Michael Lang along with Holly George-Warren published The Road to Woodstock (Ecco/HarperCollins, © 2009 ). The book describes Lang's involvement in the creation of the Woodstock Music & Arts Festival and includes many personal stories and quotes from central figures involved in the event.