Member-only story

What Happened at Woodstock?

A personal view from attending

Grace Slick of Jefferson Airplane at Woodstock

Fifty years ago, this week, close to 500,000 youth attended Woodstock. Each of us could tell a story of what happened there. This is mine.

After hitchhiking a couple thousand miles around New England and Canada for the month of July 1969, I returned back to Bowling Green, Ohio, dead tired. I was met by friends on the BG State University campus. They invited me to join them to attend a concert. Where was it and how much did it cost? It was in New York state, where I had just come from. But I was more disheartened by its exorbitant cost. Having just spent my entire savings of $30 on my thirty day road trip I was flat broke and could not afford the $24 gate payment, even if it was for a three day music festival.

Not a problem said Tom Hine, editor of the college newspaper, waving a press pass in front of me. We could get in free. So, I jumped in a car with three others and headed east. Once in the car, I asked what is this concert called? Woodstock came the reply. It meant nothing to me nor anyone else. It was just a place, a misnomer at that, since the concert was actually held in Bethel. Woodstock was 42 miles away. That small town experienced a miles-long traffic jam with folks planning on attending a concert. They were all turned away by police at the edge of town.

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Nick Licata, becomingacitizenactivists.org
Nick Licata, becomingacitizenactivists.org

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