Weston Blelock

Weston is the principal of WoodstockArts and Vice President of the Historical Society of Woodstock, NY; he and his wife, Julia Blelock, edited and published Roots of the 1969 Woodstock Festival: The Backstory to "Woodstock" 

Introduction

The Roots project began in March 2008 as an idea for the 2009 edition of the Woodstock Chamber of Commerce and Arts travel guide. Larry Lawrence, chair of the travel guide, had begun to solicit ideas for commemorating the fortieth anniversary of the 1969 festival. It occurred to me that a discussion by a panel of townspeople knowledgeable about events in the sixties might be an interesting way to bring that era into focus and create some sound bites for the travel guide. In due course the Historical Society of Woodstock and the Chamber agreed to co-sponsor the panel discussion. I invited as panelists Michael Lang, the legendary promoter of the 1969 festival; Jean Young, co-author with Michael of Woodstock Festival Remembered; Bill West, a town official in the sixties; Jeremy Wilber, a bartender at the Sled Hill Cafe, a key rock ‘n’ roll watering hole in the sixties; and Paul McMahon, a musician and bona fide hippie. Geddy Sveikauskas, publisher of the Woodstock Times, agreed to serve as moderator. I developed a list of questions and vetted them with the six participants. The panel discussion was scheduled for August 9, 2008.

from Roots of the 1969 Woodstock Festival: The Backstory to "Woodstock" edited by Weston and Julia Blelock (WoodstockArts)

Finalist at the National Best Books 2009 Awards

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