The festival was put on at Max Yasgur’s dairy farm. No one expected that over 400,000 people would attend the festival. This oversight resulted in traffic backups and not nearly enough space inside for all of the people.
This man, like so many other people who came to Woodstock, resorted to using his car as a bed because it was far too hot to sleep anywhere else. Some people were lucky enough to have supplies and built tents and forts with sleeping bags. Space was extremely limited on the ground, which meant most people had to find their vehicles. The next problem was actually finding their cars… The traffic was so severe that some people could not even get to their vehicles.
Peace and Bubbles
It seems so amazing that almost 500,000 people traveled to Woodstock to get a taste of this once-in-a-lifetime experience. Most of the attendees hung out at the festival with a friend or group of friends, and it seemed that others wanted to experience the magic of Woodstock on their own and savor it all quietly.
In this iconic photo of a young woman named Jackie Barg - she is seen sitting at the festival alone. She is having so much fun blowing bubbles all by herself while waiting anxiously for the next musician to start performing! No better way to pass the time alone than by entertaining others with bubbles.
Food for Love
The people who came to Woodstock were all about unity. They loved to share their belongings and supplies with all of the other Woodstock attendees. Sharing was extremely important to the people at Woodstock. This photo captures the true essence of unity, with this free spirit cooking meals for the festival-goers at Woodstock.
The number of people that came to Woodstock surpassed the number anyone could have imagined. Because of this, there was a severe shortage of food and other important necessities. People had a hard time giving up their spots and they did not want to have to make their way through the huge crowds (and sometimes mud and rain) to get nourishment, so they set up shop where ever they were so that they could feed everyone.
Rocking with Jimi Hendrix
There were over 30 musicians set to perform on the stage at Woodstock. Jimi Hendrix was one of them. He headlined the festival - and only performed for about 30,000 attendees. Unfortunately, since he was last, most people had already gone home due to unfavorable weather conditions, such as rain and extreme heat.
Jimi Hendrix earned the most money out of anyone who performed at Woodstock. He walked away with $18,000. The performance lasted for two amazing hours. It has been said that this performance at Woodstock went down in history for him and his band Gypsy Sun and Rainbows.
Wrapped Up in Love
1969 was a difficult time for a lot of people. It was a political era in which people struggled a lot. Woodstock gave people a glimmer of hope during a hard time. For that reason, this iconic photo became the most memorable. These two love birds are now several decades older. Bobbi Kelly and Nick Ercoline were dating at the time of Woodstock, and they quickly became Woodstock icons. The lovers stand there, experiencing a beautiful sunrise, and it just speaks volumes.
The couple represented so much to so many. What the two felt in this photo, everyone else around them seemed to feel as well. A photographer from Magnum took this candid shot, which they will forever treasure since Bobbi and Nick eventually got married and had children together. At the time of the photo, Jefferson Airplane was performing, and the couple was enjoying the moment, taking in the music and the experience.