August 9 – 12, 2026
Join us for a week of special programming honoring the 57th anniversary of the 1969 Woodstock Music and Art Fair and celebrating 20 years of Bethel Woods Center for the Arts.
Rooted in the historic site where three days of peace and music brought half a million people together, Bethel Woods carries that spirit forward every day. Our nonprofit mission is to build upon our rich history by providing extraordinary experiences and access to the arts. Over two decades, we've grown from a historic site, to a concert venue, to a world-class arts, education, and cultural campus, home to the award-winning Museum at Bethel Woods and steward of the 1,000 acres of land where history was made.
During Anniversary Week, we honor the people, the music, and the moment that changed a generation. Join us as we celebrate the past, embrace the present, and look toward the next chapter, guided by our belief in the power of peace and music to change the world.
GOLF CART TOUR
Historic Site Tour with Ken Bray
Sunday, August 9, 2026 — 11:00 AM
Ticketed, Space Limited
Join us for a special Historic Site Golf Cart Tour with Ken Bray, Woodstock 1969 silversmith as he talks about being a jewelry vendor at the original festival, right in the spots where the stories took place.
SYMPOSIUM
Ken Bray 1969 Silversmith
Monday, August 9, 2026 — 3:00 PM | Free (RSVP)
The Museum at Bethel Woods Special Exhibit
Ken Bray is an original Woodstock vendor – his iconic, symbolic silver jewelry was sold at the festival in 1969. Join Ken as he presents his journey as an artist and his Woodstock story in the Special Exhibit: How Bazaar!.
FILM SCREENING
You Can’t Refuse, by David Shelburne
Monday, August 10, 2026 — 11:00 AM | Free
The Museum at Bethel Woods Special Exhibit
David Shelburne was a film major at The Ohio State University when he attended Woodstock. You Can’t Refuse was his thesis project and tells you everything you need to know about the thoughts and life perspectives of the college-age counterculture, and is also an homage to films and books such as The Magic Trip and Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test. The experience of hanging out at the Woodstock Free Stage with the painted school buses influenced David and his wife Ellen’s lives and led to the buses being main characters in the film.
GOLF CART TOUR
Historic Site Tour + with Ellen Shelburne
Monday, August 10, 2026 — 12:30 PM | $30.00
Golf Cart Tour, ticketed, limited space
TICKETS AVAILABLE SOON
Ellen Shelburne’s photos are showcased on the walls of the Special Exhibit: How Bazaar: Arts, Crafts & Camping at Woodstock. Join Ellen as we drive through the historic site and see where she shot these photos during the festival.
SYMPOSUM
Woodstock Ventures as a Business Model
Monday, August 10, 2026 — 2:00 PM - 7:00 PM | Free
The Event Gallery
Join the Museum guests and staff for this day-long investigation into who made Woodstock work and who managed the project to build the third largest city in New York in just four weeks. Attend one part, or all three.
PART ONE
2:00 PM | Diagramming What Worked: The Organizational Chart of Uncharted Territory
Ted Klein, Boston University, moderator. A crowd-sourced round table of names and managerial relationships to connect the people who made Woodstock tick.
PART TWO
3:30 PM | Identifying the People That Made It Work: An Organizational Chart in Pictures
Rona Elliot, Woodstock Ventures Alumnae, moderator. A crowd-sourced photo session to put faces to the names in Woodstock pictures.
PART THREE
6:00 PM | How Do You Invent an Event That Has Never Been Done Before?
Ted Klein, Boston University, moderator. A conversation around the organizational chart of uncharted territory.
FILM SCREENING
You Can’t Refuse, by David Shelburne
Tuesday, August 11, 2026 — 11:00 AM | Free
The Museum at Bethel Woods Special Exhibit
David Shelburne was a film major at The Ohio State University when he attended Woodstock. You Can’t Refuse was his thesis project and tells you everything you need to know about the thoughts and life perspectives of the college-age counterculture, and is also an homage to films and books such as The Magic Trip and Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test. The experience of hanging out at the Woodstock Free Stage with the painted school buses influenced David and his wife Ellen’s lives and led to the buses being main characters in the film.
GOLF CART TOUR
Historic Site Tour + with Henry Diltz and Bob Gruen
Tuesday, August 11, 2026 — 1:00 PM | $30.00
Golf Cart Tour, ticketed, limited space
TICKETS AVAILABLE SOON
Join the Museum on this once in a lifetime opportunity to see where Henry Diltz and Bob Gruen shot some of their most iconic Woodstock photos.
SYMPOSIUM
East Meets West: Bob Gruen & Henry Diltz, Two of America’s Great Rock Photographers
Tuesday, August 11, 2026 — 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM | Free (RSVP)
The Event Gallery
Bob Gruen and Henry Diltz with Rona Elliot, moderator
For the first time ever, legendary rock photographers Henry Diltz and Bob Gruen will present on the same stage. Both were at Woodstock and embedded within the iconic music culture of the 1960s, and both had had amazing careers as photographers. One on the East Coast and one on the West Coast.
GOLF CART TOUR
Historic Site Tour — Docent Led Golf Cart Tour
Wednesday, August 12, 2026 — 11:00 AM
Ticketed, Space Limited
Hop on a golf cart and travel back to 1969 where you’ll learn all about what was going on at the Woodstock Music & Art Fair. Want to see the magical field where 450,000 people sat and jammed out? How about a trip through the Bindy Bazaar, where the intended main gate was located. Learn about lesser known locations of the festival, like the Free Kitchen, the Art Fence and The Playground. Throughout the tour, you’ll see never before seen photos of Woodstock, and stand in the exact location they’ve been taken.
GOLF CART TOUR
Behind the Scenes Tour — Docent Led Golf Cart Tour
Wednesday, August 12, 2026 — 11:00 AM
Ticketed, Space Limited
It’s the 20th Anniversary of Bethel Woods! Take our Behind the Scenes Tour and get an insider’s view of what it takes to produce a show. Beginning with the story of how Bethel Woods came to be and our mission to carry forward the legacy of the 1969 Woodstock festival. You’ll travel by golf cart with an expert guide as you explore the Pavilion and historic grounds. Enjoy the rare opportunity to step onto the Pavilion stage where music legends have performed and possibly get a glimpse at the artists’ dressing rooms.
LIVE MUSIC
Horizon Happy Hour
Space Carnival
Wednesday, August 12, 2026 — 5:00 PM | Free
The Market Sheds
Join us for live music with Space Carnival in the Market Sheds overlooking the historic festival field. Food and beverages available for purchase at special happy hour prices.
If Phish and XTC had a baby who was given a Moog synthesizer for its 5th birthday and then moved to Albany and started a band, that band would be called Space Carnival. A mix of danceable grooves and guitar forward jams all underpinned by an organ and synth structured foundation. Back together after a five-year hiatus, Space Carnival has returned with a fresh dose of their driven jam funk sound.