Woodstock + Bethel

Picnicking @ Bethel

The second annual "Party Bus to Bethel" departed from Woodstock on Friday, August 12, promptly at 3 p.m. On the way to Bethel we enjoyed a DVD and complimentary sandwiches. Guests also shared wine and other treats. Once at Bethel, a number of us visited The Museum, while others were transported directly to the picnic area. Three tables were reserved there for our group. The concert gates opened at 6:30. Just after 8 p.m. Leon Russell took the stage in fine form. Next up . . . a great performance from the poet of the 60s generation: Bob Dylan, together with his band.

After the concert the party bus picked us up in the VIP circle, and we were whisked away, munching homemade chocolate chip cookies. The party bus is a fun, green way to experience Woodstock + Bethel.

The party bus @ Bethel

If you'd like to recapture the magic of the sixties and the 1969 festival, the party bus is one way to do it. But there are additional options. The Bethel Woods web site offers The Woodstock Daytripper as well as the Total Woodstock Experience Overnighter. Both begin in Bethel at The Museum, and travel on to Woodstock, where visitors can explore the roots of the famous '69 festival . . . at the Byrdcliffe Arts and Crafts Colony campus, the handcrafted Maverick Concert Hall, the Sound-Out meadow and much more.

Another way to enjoy Woodstock + Bethel is through the Experience Woodstock Card. Check out the top section labeled "Experience Woodstock Corridor." Offers include a special on admission to The Museum at Bethel Woods. That's also where we post "Party Bus to Bethel" news and related offers.

Norwegian Folk College Travels the Experience Woodstock Corridor

The Norwegian students in Woodstock

In January the Woodstock Chamber of Commerce & Arts inaugurated the Experience Woodstock Corridor between Woodstock and Bethel Woods Center for the Arts. The Woodstock Festival of 1969 was conceived and was supposed to take place in Woodstock, NY—but due to space constraints, among other factors, was eventually sited in Bethel. The corridor has been established to honor the connection between the roots of Woodstock and the event itself.

At CPW (formerly Café Espresso)

On Bethel’s seasonal opening day of April 2nd, a tour bus of 37 students and instructors from a Norwegian folk college (folkehØgskoler) began their day at The Museum, Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, and then travelled the Experience Woodstock Corridor to Woodstock. Here they were met and welcomed by Marcus Lindner of Journey Art, who is also a board member of the Woodstock Chamber of Commerce & Arts.

At WBG with photo of Dylan

Lindner first took the visitors to the Woodstock Byrdcliffe Guild (WBG) building at 34 Tinker Street. He explained how the organization is the steward for the Byrdcliffe Art Colony. The Byrdcliffe campus is about a mile from the town center and was founded in 1902. This organization jumpstarted the artistic and creative tradition that survives to the present day. Next he took them across the street to the Center for Photography (CPW) at 59 Tinker Street. It was here, he explained, that one of the key musical hotbeds of the 1960s was located. The Café Espresso, as it was known then, was run by Bernard and Mary Lou Paturel. On weekends, many of the leading folk acts of the day played. They included performers like Tom Paxton, Patrick Sky, Phil Ochs, Happy Traum, John Herald and Rev. Gary Davis. Upstairs in a studio Bob Dylan wrote Another Side of Bob Dylan and Bringing It All Back Home.

The Norwegian visitors stayed in Woodstock for several hours before heading back out on the road . . .

~Weston Blelock

With thanks to Marcus Lindner for the photos

Experience Woodstock Corridor

The Experience Woodstock Corridor, stretching from Woodstock's Village Green to Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, is now open for business. Visitors to the Woodstock area are invited to sample the many restaurants, shops, galleries, spas and performance venues that Woodstock has to offer.

To complete their Woodstock experience, visitors are encouraged to enjoy The Museum at Bethel Woods, the performance stages, and the festivals of Bethel Woods Center for the Arts. Additional places of interest in Woodstock, Bethel, and points in between are being added to the program.

Powering the Corridor is the Experience Woodstock Card, now in its second year. The 2011 card, priced at $25, is good for unlimited usage throughout the calendar year. It can be purchased online or a nine locations in Woodstock (see listing at upper right).

Party Bus to Crosby, Stills and Nash Concert

On Tuesday, August 31, at 2:45 p.m., more than 50 lucky people climbed aboard Woodstock’s first ever (sold-out!) Party Bus to Bethel. This was the premiere in a series of joint ventures planned between the Woodstock Chamber and Bethel Woods Center for the Arts. Those on the luxury Tonche Transit bus to Bethel were served delicious hors d’oeuvres catered by Ray Carucci, Chamber board member. The 90-minute ride also featured a DVD of the 1969 Woodstock Music and Arts Fair, as well as food and drinks brought from home. Just before arriving at Bethel, concert-goers were officially greeted by Chamber president Joyce Beymer, who was aboard the luxury coach along with several other Chamber board members.

The party bus was met at Bethel Woods by Jodi Kane, Manager of Group Sales; Wade Lawrence, Director of The Museum; and Rosie Vergilio, Director of Marketing. Those with tickets for The Museum were ushered in, and others who preferred to picnic were directed to a lovely area with reserved tables. Soon it was time for the concert—with the legendary David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash. What fabulous performances by the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers! Those guys are not resting on their laurels. Were we dancing in the aisles? You bet!

Afterwards the Woodstockers strolled over to their bus and were given a priority exit from the Bethel grounds. Ray served up his tasty Life Is Good brownies on the trip home, and everyone enjoyed the hassle-free return to Woodstock. (The bus arrived back at least an hour before those traveling by car.) What a great experience! Turns out it is easy being green.

Stay tuned here for alerts about upcoming excursions being planned by the Woodstock Chamber of Commerce & Arts. For more, including info about bus trips from Bethel to Woodstock, contact getaway@woodstockchamber.com.

~Julia Blelock