The Faces Behind the Magic
Woodstock took place in New York State. However, it was not actually in the town of Woodstock. It was held in a town called Bethel. The reason why it was called Woodstock was not because of the location, but because the people who financed the festival were from a company by the name of Woodstock ventures.
The place where the festival actually took place was a dairy farm owned by Max Yasgur. He was a farmer who graciously allowed Woodstock Ventures to put on the festival on his land. Sadly, he got a lot of pushback from the community about his graciousness. People in his neighborhood went as far as to sue him. He died in 1973, shortly after Woodstock.
One Big, Happy Family
Everyone was family at Woodstock. It was not unusual to see groups of people sitting together in the fields enjoying the music. It did not matter if these people knew each other or came together, they were all family. Adults and children were all welcome.
There were not many publications allowed in the festival to document the event. Rolling Stone magazine was given full access throughout the festival, and they were one of the only people to get that clearance. This photograph was taken by Baron Wolman, who was a photographer at Rolling Stone. Since it was such a popular magazine, it was easy for him to get snaps like this, as people were eager to be photographed by the magazine.
A Celestial Sound
The kickoff to the Woodstock Festival was just as amazing as the festival itself. First, Richie Havens performed. This was then followed by an incredible speech by Sri Swami Satchidananda. He shared an uplifting and inspiring message with the group.
“My Beloved Brothers and Sisters, we can just feel the vibes. Music is a celestial sound, and it is the sound that controls the whole universe, not atomic vibrations. Sound energy, sound power, is much, much greater than any other power in this world. And, one thing I would very much wish you all to remember is that with sound, we can make—and at the same time, break.”
Couple Goals
How could you not smile during a time like Woodstock? This happy couple must have been so excited for what was to come. Maybe they were most excited for Janis Joplin or Jimi Hendrix- or one of the other 30 musicians scheduled to perform. They exude beauty and are icons of bohemian fashion.
The lady pictured is perfectly dressed in Woodstock fashion. Wearing a peasant blouse was very common among the concertgoers, and hers is perfect in those colorful stripes. Her partner, while not wearing a shirt, decided to accessorize with various necklaces. This was also a very common look around the festival.
Some Morning Yoga
Sri Swami Satchidananda led a yoga class every morning. It looks like he had no problem drawing a crowd to join him in the spiritual workout. They used this time to connect and relax while there were no musical performances.
We love the variety of yoga poses that the group is doing. It is showing that they are practicing together, yet still doing their own flow. Everyone seems to be having a great time together. Yoga is really a practice of peace and love, and that is exactly what the people at Woodstock wanted to promote, so it is no surprise that it was practiced all over the fields.