It has been 40 years, said Katie Hawkins-Gaar in CNN, but "the Woodstock Music and Arts Fair remains a major cultural touchstone." The three-day festival was huge—with a crowd estimated at 400,000—and it featured the greatest musicians of the era. But the significance of the "peace- and love-filled celebration" seems to grow with every passing year, making "the idea of Woodstock" even bigger than the actual event was.
"Pieces of Woodstock's own crazy world broke off and spun their way into a larger world," said Jeanne McManus in The Washington Post, so even those of us who missed the VW bus have been able to share in its "infectious" spirit. There's something to be said for working hard and being responsible—but sex, drugs, rock 'n roll, "wet sleeping bags, and chaos" have their place, too.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Why are student loan borrowers falling behind on payments?Today's Big Question Delinquencies surge as the Trump administration upends the program
-
Not there yet: The frustrations of the pocket AIFeature Apple rushes to roll out its ‘Apple Intelligence’ features but fails to deliver on promises
-
George Foreman: The boxing champ who reinvented home grillsFeature He helped define boxing’s golden era
