Roots of the 1969 Woodstock Festival:
The Backstory to “Woodstock”
Edited by Weston Blelock and Julia Blelock
with a foreword by Bob Fass
This book explains definitively and for the first
time why the festival was named Woodstock,
and why it continues to be so closely associated
with the town, even though the concert
actually occurred in Bethel, NY.

“A festival of books as Woodstock turns 40. Transcript
of a 2008 panel discussion with Michael
Lang and locals who were there.”

—Publishers Weekly
“A thoughtful, profusely illustrated preserve of
American history, highly recommended for lay
readers and serious students of the Woodstock
event alike.”
—Midwest Book Review

“Primarily a transcript of a 2008 panel discussion
on the events leading up to Woodstock; a 50 page
black-and-white photo essay at the end of the
book refreshingly cuts back to the folk roots and
the Arts and Crafts heritage of the Woodstock Music
and Art Fair.”
—Library Journal

“The book is a fascinating read: there’s an interesting
story on every page, and it is a must-have for
anyone interested in the Woodstock Festival, the
history of Woodstock or the counterculture movement
in the United States.”
—Catskill Mountain Region Guide

Included are the transcript of a 2008 panel discussion between Michael
Lang and other individuals knowledgeable about 1960s Woodstock; a
“roots of Woodstock” photo essay that highlights such Woodstock writers
and performers as Bob Dylan, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Allen
Ginsberg, Pete Seeger and Richie Havens; a chronicle of the Arts and
Crafts origins of the town from the 1800s; and an exploration of the
town’s hallowed tradition of weekend-long musical concerts. The book
also features a compendium of important Woodstock players, a map of
historic sixties locations in the Woodstock area, and 115 images—many
of them rare, vintage photos of the Woodstock music and art scenes.
This book was recently honored as a finalist for both the Popular Culture
and the History: Media/Entertainment categories in the National
“Best Books 2009” Awards.

A related WoodstockArts title is the award-winning art book edition of
Anita M. Smith’s Woodstock History and Hearsay.