Problems arise

_Elsa_

‘Problems Plague The Preparations - The history of Woodstock is riddled with chaotic problems and spontaneous solutions. Once the venue and talent were locked in, logistics became the primary concern. A music festival requires infrastructure, security, and regulation — and Woodstock struggled with all three.

In fact, essentials like ticket booths, gates, and fencing to cordon off the grounds were nowhere near completed when the masses began trickling in. Bathrooms, concession stands, and a pavilion for the professional performers were likewise utterly lacking before showtime.

Lang later explained that though it might’ve seemed like an oversight, the reasoning was that he and his colleagues felt that other elements — like food and quality entertainment — were more important to guarantee.

After a grueling commute through jammed highways and setting up shop on Yasgur’s farm, concertgoers finally got to celebrate the first day of the 1969 Woodstock music festival on August 15.

“You do everything you can to get the gates and the fences finished — but you have your priorities,” he said. “People are coming, and you need to be able to feed them, and take care of them, and give them a show. So you have to prioritize.”

Their solution was both financially unwise and extremely heartfelt. There was no efficient way to charge attendees, so the four young businessmen decided to do the only thing they could: make Woodstock free.

They lost out on untold amounts of money, of course (which they made up for in part by producing an Oscar-winning documentary of the festival), but their festival has lingered in the minds of millions for half a century - something that arguably would never have happened if they stuck with the original attendee cap of 50,000 and delayed ticketing. But they ended up welcoming far, far more than 50,000 - and, in the process, made history.’ (Source)

“Let’s look to see if we can find a video on how many people showed up,” says Yeti. “Oh here is one! Let’s watch it.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9VMZwKmO4A

“Lucky they didn’t have the pandemic at that time,” Yeti says. “Can you imagine how many people would have gotten it in such a large crowd?”

Let’s continue – Where Was Woodstock?

Start at the beginning – Tiffi and Yeti learn about Woodstock