Blog

The 1960s marked a transformative era in global culture and history, characterized by profound social and political upheaval, artistic innovation, and a spirit of rebellion against established norms. Emerging from the post-war period, this decade witnessed seismic shifts in civil rights movements, anti-war protests, and a burgeoning counterculture challenging traditional values.

At the heart of this cultural revolution was the Woodstock Festival, held in August 1969 in Bethel, New York. Billed as "An Aquarian Exposition: 3 Days of Peace & Music," Woodstock became an iconic symbol of the era's ethos of love, unity, and creative expression.

• Harlem Cultural Festival

• The Roots of Modern Movement Music

• Voting Rights: How Far Have We Come?

• Bryan Adams Cancels in Mississippi

• The Peace Symbol & Woodstock: A History

• Hendrix in the Heat: The May 1968 Miami Pop Festival

• A Tribute to the Black Voices that Made Modern Music

• Alan Wilson: The Bridge between Woodstock and the Delta Blues

• Bill Graham and the "Chairman of the Board": The Untold Story of B.B. King of the Fillmore

• "Reporting Live from the Woodstock Music and Art Fair"

Since 2020, the Museum has been deeply committed to the collection and preservation of stories from the people who know Woodstock best. In 2024, the Museum was awarded a major federal grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities to continue the oral history pop-ups that were so successful last year.

Throughout 2024, Museum curators are travelling the country and across New York state to capture your unique stories with an overall goal of collecting 4,500 Woodstock stories from the people who attended the festival. That is only 1% of those who found their way to Yasgur’s Farm. Yet this archive will be the most significant collective memory of the Woodstock Music and Art Fair and will be a defining legacy of the Museum.

• Vendors in The Bindy Bazaar

• Archaeology and the Woodstock Festival Site

• Environmental Art at Woodstock

• Remembering the Kent State Shootings, 50 Years Later

• Woodstock Stories: Memory and History

• Learning the Landscape: Reflections on The Bindy Bazaar

• Woodstock Stories: Legacy of the Land

• Celebrating the Women of Woodstock

• Driving the Counterculture: Buses, Vans, and Beetles

• Too Close is Comfort: The Re-Emergence of Intentional Communities in America

• Universal Peace, Love, and Music

• The Spiritual Connections of the Woodstock Monument

• Woodstock is Worth Every Mile: Collecting New Oral Histories in Florida

• 500 Down: Reflections of The Woodstock Oral History Initiative 

More than just a venue, Bethel Woods Center for the Arts embodies a legacy of creativity, activism, and social change, inviting visitors to connect with the transformative spirit of Woodstock while embracing the timeless values of peace, love, and understanding. Whether attending a concert under the stars or exploring the museum's rich tapestry of exhibits, visitors are invited to experience the magic of Bethel Woods and be inspired by its enduring message of hope and unity.

• The kids are alright...

• A Thank You Letter to Bethel Woods

• And Oh What a 10 Years it's Been...

• Legacy

• The Roots of Modern Movement Music

• Behind-The-Scenes of Sensory-Friendly Days at Bethel Woods

• You've Come a Long Way, Kid! Reflections on the Museum's 15th Birthday and My Bethel Woods Journey