Max Yasgur, Farm Owner Of Woodstock Festival Born Today

Today, December 15, 1919, Max Yasgur was born, the owner of the dairy farm in Bethel, New York, where the Woodstock Festival was held in 1969. Max yasgur was a man who fought through significant local resistance to ‘all the long-haired hippies and anti-war young people playing loud music’ coming to the area to make sure the event took place. There were protest signs around town. This was one of the protest signs, “Stop Max’s Hippie Music Festival. No 150,000 hippies here. Buy no milk.”

 

Max Yasgur was initially offered $50,000 to lease the land for the festival. It was a rainy year and he needed the money. He also believed in the right to self-expression even. This was true even if he did not agree with the actions and attitudes of the festival attendees.

 

There is a legend that the locals were selling water to folks at the festival. Max Yasgur apparently was angered by this and slammed his hand on his kitchen table. He yelled “Water is free”. His son, Steve Yasgur, remembers exactly what his father said.  “He told us to take every empty milk bottle from the plant, fill them with water and give them to the kids, and give away all the milk and milk products we had at the dairy.”

 

Woodstock is one of The USA’s largest and most historical musical events. It set the tone for social, racial, religious and artistic shifts that we are still experiencing ripples today.

 

For those who do not know, here is a list of performers at the legendary festival concluding with Jimi Hendrix famed version of “The Star Spangled Banner” on electric guitar:

Richie Havens

Country Joe McDonald

John B. Sebastian

Incredible String Band

Sweetwater

Bert Sommer

Tim Hardin

Ravi Shankar

Melanie

Arlo Guthrie

Joan Baez

Quill

Keef Hartly

Santana

Canned Heat

Mountain

Janis Joplin

Sly & The Family Stone

Grateful Dead

Creedence Clearwater Revival

The Who

Jefferson Airplane

Joe Cocker

Country Joe & The Fish

Ten Years After

The Band

Blood Sweet And Tears

Johnny Winter

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

Paul Butterfield Blues Band

Sha-Na-Na

Jimi Hendrix

 

3 Days of Peace & Music

Max Yasgur Woodstock Festival with Jimi Hendrix

 

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ