Woodstock Festival 1969
            
             Can a three day concert symbolize a generation? The Woodstock Festival of 1969 was the most intense peaceful gathering in Bethel, New York on Max Yasgur's farm. This spontaneous event took place in Sullivan County on Friday afternoon August 15 to Monday August 18, 1969. The New York State Thruway was closed down. It was one of the nations worst traffic jams. Half of the crowd were hippies and they left their cars anywhere to walk the rest of the way to the site.
             It was supposed to be a three day celebration of community and music, but who knew that it would turn out to be a great part of American culture as well as a landmark of the twentieth century. The name Woodstock brings a certain spirit or ideology to my mind. It was a very special event for our homeland because no society has ever been so free of repression. The slogan for this concert was "Three Days of Peace and Music." The promoters thought that "peace" would link the anti-war sentiment to the rock concert. Because they wanted to avoid violence, they believed that having the word peace in their slogan would benefit this cause. This gave people the attitude that Woodstock was going to be a non-violent festival.
             Woodstock defined a generation. Woodstock made people feel that anything was possible. Over half a million people attended this. The summer of 1969 was a time of change in our history and this concert united people as well as made them feel safer in our country. Liberating the self was connected to a new communal culture. Love, money and music were three of the main aspects that symbolized Woodstock and made history. "There are a hell of a lot of us here. If we are going to make it, you had better remember that the guy next to you is your brother." This quote was said by an anonymous hippie. Everyone at the event treated each other as if they were family or connected in some way.
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