New Year blessings: Feb. 17, 2026

(Zhuangyan Temple) 2026 Lunar New Year Prayer Ceremony

Register online to light lamps and pray for blessings. Light a lamp.

Joe Rogan, longevity, Harvard scientist: Imagine 500 years

Announcing the 2026 New Year's Blessings Ceremony

As the year draws to a close, we pray that readers, family, and friends are all blessed with longevity and good fortune day and night as the calendar transitions. BAUS temple cordially invites all to a New Year's Blessing Ceremony on Feb. 17, 2026, from 10:00 am to 12:15 pm.

On the day of the ceremony, those assembled will recite the "Eighty-Eight Buddhas Great Repentance Liturgy" and offer a grand offering before the Buddha. BAUS sincerely invites all to participate in the lighting of lamps and other meritorious deeds. The entire family is welcome to visit the temple and share in the Dharma benefits.

Abiding in great compassion and eternal freedom

Dear Friends,

At the ending of the year, lasting auspiciousness to all day and night! Chuang Yen Monastery will conduct a ceremony of New Year's blessings from 10:00 am to 12:15 pm on Feb. 17, 2026. During this ceremony, all will recite the Great Repentance before the Eighty-Eight Buddhas and make a Grand Meal Offering to the Buddhas. All are invited to sponsor the lighting of a blessing lamp and to sponsor other memorial services. All are welcome to bring family and friends to the Monastery to share the benefits of the Dharma.

May all enjoy the constant ease of great compassion. The temple is open to the public: Feb. 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 (6 days in total) Opening hours: 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM It looks like this message is in Chinese (Traditional)

莊嚴寺 2026年新春祈福大法會 線上登記點燈祈福

Light a light Announcing the 2026 New Year's Blessings Ceremony

敬啟者： 值此年終歲末之際，祈願諸位及闔府晝夜六時恆吉祥。 本寺謹訂於2026年2月17日10:00am ~ 12:15pm舉行新春祈福法會，法會當日恭誦《八十八佛大懺悔文》及佛前大供；誠摯邀請您參加點燈及各項功德。歡迎闔府蒞寺同霑法益。 耑祈 住大慈悲恆自在  本寺開放： 2月17,18,19,20,21,22日（共6天） 開放時間： 早上10點至下午3點 ­ 莊嚴寺 冬季封山通知

• Chuang Yen Monastery (BAUS)
• Buddhist Association of the U.S.
• 0020 Route 301, 10512, Carmel
• PHONE: (845) 225-1819

Chinese New Year: Spring Festival

Chinese New Year, also known as the Spring Festival, marks the beginning of a new year on the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar, which is used by a large part of Asia beyond China.

It is one of the most important holidays in Chinese culture and was placed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity list in 2024.

Marking the end of winter (no matter what Punxatawney Phil rituals say) and the beginning of spring, this festival takes place from Chinese New Year's Eve (the evening preceding the first day of the year) to the Lantern Festival, held on the 15th day of the year.

The first day of the Chinese New Year falls on the new moon that appears between Jan. 21 and Feb. 20 [a].

The Chinese New Year is associated with several myths and customs. The festival was traditionally a time to honor deities and ancestors [3]. Throughout China, different regions celebrate the New Year with distinct local customs and traditions [4].

Chinese New Year's Eve is an occasion for Chinese families to gather for the annual reunion dinner.

Traditionally, every family would thoroughly clean their house, symbolically sweeping away any ill fortune to make way for incoming good luck. Windows and doors may be decorated with red paper-cuts and couplets representing themes such as good fortune, happiness, wealth, and longevity. Other activities include lighting firecrackers and giving money in red envelopes. More

Military drops bombs on Burmese festival

40 people dead after paraglider drops bombs on festival

(AFP via MSN) At least forty people have died after a paraglider dropped bombs on a festival in Burma (which the military junta renamed Myanmar). Hundreds of people were gathered in the Chaung U Township for the Thadingyut full moon festival on Monday evening when the military dropped bombs on the crowd, according to a member of the committee that organized the event. 40 people dead after paraglider drops bombs on festival

(BBC News) Burmese military bombs Buddhist festival crowd

Horror in Myanmar: Paraglider drops bombs on festival crowd, killing at least 40

(New York Post) Oct. 8, 2025: At least 40 people, including children, were killed and 80 injured after a Burmese military paraglider dropped bombs on a religious festival in Burma’s Chuang U Township. The attack targeted attendees marking the Thadingyut full moon festival, many of whom were protesting the junta’s dictatorial rule. Footage shows the devastating aftermath as survivors search through debris. #myanmar #Burmese #Thadingyut

(DemocracyNow.org) U.S. and World Headlines for Oct. 8, 2025

Killing for Krishna at 47th Hari Krishna Fest

Siri Mata-ji (larathayatra.com); Eds., Wisdom Quarterly COMMENTARY

Krishna, the all-attractive "Dark One," has a thing for the human beauty, Radha.

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It was a very strange meeting of minds at the annual "Festival of the Chariots" on the Venice Beach Boardwalk.

The morning began with KPFK (90.7 FM) playing Alan Watts on the topic of the Bhavagad Gita, devotional-Hinduism "Song of the Lord."

Alan Watts explains the Bhagavad Gita or "The Song of the Lord"

It's a world-famous text that attempts to tell an unbelievable story about how "God" on Earth, Lord Krishna (the "Dark One") argues with Arjuna (the best of men) to kill.

Hare Krishna vegetarians party on the beach

Arjuna doesn't want to kill, particularly not his friends an relatives. But Krishna insists it's the right thing to do.

It must be some kind of metaphor. Surely, it's a metaphor. It can't be literal. No religious text would tell its devotees to KILL or that it's right to kill as long as you're "just doing your job," aka social "duty" (innate obligation under the Vedas' strict caste system) and obeying the Lord.

It turns out it does. These mainly white Hare Krishna converts each said they would kill if God told them to. They weren't kidding. They urged me to kill if instructed. I said, "You must be out of your mind." It's like the satirical Jello Biafra of the Dead Kennedys opening that song from Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables with the line, "God told me to skin you alive."

Krishna and Krist are pro-gun?

We think of conservative, Republican, gun-toting Jesus freaks eager for war with Russia -- or whomever the Pentagon is designating as the enemy of the moment, which as in Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, changes from time to time. Sometimes we're told to hate/fear the communists of China, other times the Muslims of the Middle East, or the Ruskies or the liberals or the Satanists or the unpatriotic or, worst of all, those damned Unbelievers.

(Airplane!) Americans were once sick to the bloody teeth of Hare Krishna cult

It's good we get along, but our followers? Oy vey

No wonder India gets so much "communal violence," which is when Hindu mobs practice ahimsa (non-violence) to the utmost -- murdering Muslims, Christians, members of other castes or creeds or ethnicities -- because they, as the majority, are whipped up into believing the "other" is harming their interests. Indian Prime Minister Modi is accused of inciting ethnic violence and getting tens of thousands murdered to promote himself and his political party, the BJP, and Indian patriotism above all.

At no time did Alan Watts say the central dialogue between the Lord (a kind of "all-attractive" Krist figure) and the ideal man Arjuna was a metaphor. And everyone to a man today said, "It's not a metaphor. It's literally true. I would kill if God (Krishna) told me to."

What is this juggernaut? Ratha Yatra Jagannath or Festival of Chariots

Expect someone to come down from space ("heaven") and tell the Indians it's time to kill those darn, pesky, Muslim Pakistanis...and they'll do it with Christian Crusader gusto, "Praise the Lord, and pass the ammunition." Un be liev a ble. So much for only being a cult aggressively panhandling for cash donations, ISKCON (the International Society for Krishna CONsciousness) is so much more and eventually will be a willing arm of the Indian Army.

The Hare Krishna devotional cult lives on in LA

• Send hate mail and threats of communal violence to Wisdom Quarterly care of Editor Ashley Wells, through the comments section. Or if someone has another, less literal, take on the true meaning of the Advice to Arjuna in the Gita, we'd love to hear it. Here is Alan Watts' explanation as the interpreter of Hinduism, Mahayana Buddhism, Zen, and Taoism for the West.

"The Song of the Lord" as metaphor

Wiki Bhagavad Gita edited by Wisdom Quarterly

God on earth (blue-black Krishna) tells Arjuna to fight and kill because it's "right" to do so.

These are all incarnations (avatars) of the Sustainer Lord Vishnu in Hinduism (South Park).

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If God says so, maybe we should kill? - No, guys.

Summarizing [Hinduism's] Upanishadic conceptions of God, the Gita ("The Song by God") posits the existence of a lower self (atman) and a higher GOD self (Brahman) within each individual [Note 1].

The dialogue between Prince Arjuna and Krishna his charioteer has been interpreted as a metaphor for an immortal dialogue between the human self and God [Note 2].

Commentators of Vedanta (the "best of the Vedas") read varying notions in the Bhagavad Gita about the relationship between the atman (individual Self) and Brahman (universal Self):

Advaita Vedanta affirms the non-dualism of Atman and Brahman [7], Vishisht-advaita asserts qualified non-dualism with Atman and Brahman being related but different in certain respects, while Dvaita Vedanta declares the complete duality of atman and Brahman [Note 3][6][8].

As per Hindu mythology, the Bhagavad Gita was written by the god Ganesha, as told to him by the sage Veda Vyasa.

The Bhagavad Gita presents a synthesis [9][10] of various Hindu ideas about dharma (social duty or innate obligation) [9][10][11], theistic devotion (bhakti) [11][12], and the yogic ideal [10] of liberation (moksha) [10].

The text covers Knowledge, Devotion, Action, and Royal (Jñāna, Bhakti, Karma, and Rāja) Yogas [12], while incorporating ideas from the Samkhya-Yoga philosophy [Web 1][Note 4].

The Bhagavad Gita is one of the most revered Hindu texts [13] and has a unique pan-Hindu influence [14][15]. Numerous commentaries have been written on the Bhagavad Gita with differing views on its essentials. More

The annual "Festival of Chariots" in L.A.

The vast majority of the Festival will be on the Venice Beach Boardwalk.

Travel to India while staying in the U.S. at the 47th Annual Los Angeles Ratha Yatra or "Festival of the Chariots."

On the first Sunday in August, three deities (Lord Jagannatha, Baladeva, and Subhadra) take their annual trip, or Yatra, on three 40-foot-tall chariots down Main Street in Santa Monica and onto the iconic Venice Beach Boardwalk.

The Ratha Yatra Festival includes a colorful Indian parade in addition to a festival at the Venice Beach Windward Plaza, featuring cultural performances, a FREE feast, kirtan (spiritual chanting), food stalls, and Indian gifts.

• Los Angeles Ratha Yatra
• "Festival of the Chariots"
• August 6th, 2023 (larathayatra.com)
• Activities begin Saturday, Aug. 5th
• Parade begins at: 1855 Main Street
• Santa Monica (LA County), CA 90401
• Disclosure Project: Indian Festival, Venice Beach (FREE food, yoga, cultural performances, kirtan), Sun, Aug 6, 2023, 4:30 AM | Meetup
• Nature Center: Indian Festival, Venice Beach (FREE food, yoga, cultural performances, kirtan), Sun, Aug 6, 2023, 4:30 AM | Meetup
• PasaDharma: Indian Festival, Venice Beach (FREE food, yoga, cultural performances, kirtan), Sun, Aug 6, 2023, 4:30 PM | Meetup

Going to h*ll w/Avenged Sevenfold+Pussy Riot

A7X, Pussy Riot (AP); Saint Xero, 6/6/23; ACA, 1212/19; Eds., Wisdom Quarterly

This band sucks! They're a bunch of jocks who somehow made it big pretending to be Goth G'n'R.

Avenged Sevenfold is coming to LA with Pussy Riot (June 9). We have to go.to see PR.

Come to our L.A. shows. It's an art spectacle!

It wouldn't be H*LL without anti-Putin activist Nadya of Pussy Riot fame. Avenged Sevenfold came back to Los Angeles after a long hiatus. They have a new album to push, Life is But a Dream, and they were cool enough to put Pussy Riot on the bill. Nadya, the face of the band (or anarcho-feminist-collective), has been in Los Angeles recently, opening up her new product line, a fashion statement of balaclavas (those cute, knitted masks for rioting in Russia's cold weather, kind of like our pussy cat pink caps).

• VIDEO: Pussy Riot concert, Los Angeles 2023

A7X and Pussy Riot live in LA (June 9th, 2023)

Life is But a Dream...in two minutes

A7X is very popular after the band's release of Life is But a Dream. Here it is in two minutes.

Exorcist reveals his haunting experiences

Famous Father Vinny Lampert warns Catholic kids about occult sh*t

(A Current Affair) A priest (Fr. Vincent Lampert) in the U.S. is one of the world's few Vatican-trained exorcists. He speaks about some of his most haunting experiences and why he believes exorcisms are on the rise today as religion declines. Full episodes: bit.ly/2qlfdmd. #ACA #TracyGrimshaw

"Mattel" (official visualizer)

(Avenged Sevenfold) The new A7X album is LIBAD, and the best song on it might be "Mattel." It was written and recorded over the span of four years and tracks from it will be heard live on Friday (6/9/23). It was inspired by the depressing writings and Western philosophy of Albert Camus with Wes Lang art encapsulating the theme of existentialism: a7x.lnk.to/libad. #AvengedSevenfold #LifeIsButADream #Mattel

(The Punk Rock MBA) Finn McKenty explains rockstars A7X's success

Thai Nine Emperor Gods Vegan Festival

CC Liu, Natalie Wijlaongporn, Dhr. Seven (eds.), Wisdom Quarterly Wiki edit Vegetarian Festival

Symbol of vegan/vegetarian food

During the festival in Theravada Buddhist Thailand, streets are filled with food stalls offering vegetarian Thai and Chinese food, like buns, dim sums, and mushrooms.

The Nine Emperor Gods Festival (Chinese 九皇爺誕, Jiu Huang Ye Dan, Malay Perayaan Dewa Sembilan Maharaja; Thai เทศกาลกินเจ, Thetsakaan Kin Je) is a nine-day Taoist celebration beginning on the eve of the ninth lunar month of the Chinese calendar.

It is celebrated primarily in Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and Thailand by the Peranakans rather than the entire Overseas Chinese community.

It takes place at the same time as the nine-day Hindu festival called Navaratri.

The Nine Emperor Gods

Jiǔ Huáng Xīng Jūn / Jiǔ Huáng Da Di (九皇星君/九皇大帝) are the nine sons manifested by Father Emperor Zhou Yu Dou Fu Yuan Jun (斗父周御國王天尊) and Mother of the Big Dipper Dou Mu Yuan Jun (斗母元君), who holds the Registrar of Life and Death

The worship of Dou Fu Yuan Jun has declined strongly as proper teachings of Taoism degenerate since being exported out of China.

Today, most Nine Emperor God temples do not acknowledge the existence of Dou Fu Yuan Jun. However, Dou Fu Yuan Jun is invoked alongside Dou Mu Yuan Jun in Great Dipper Honoring ceremonies known as Li Dou (禮斗).

According to Priest Long Hua, the 35th Generation Leader of Long Shan Men Taoist Sect (Singapore), honoring the Northern Dipper stars prolongs one's life, eliminates calamities, and absolves one of bad karma/sins and past debts for oneself and one's family [2].

The term Ye (爺) as in Jiu Huang Ye (九皇爺) loosely translates as "Grandfather," a title worshipers commonly use to bring a more intimate relationship between themselves and the Nine Emperors.

The Nine Emperor Gods should not be confused with the Wang Ye or Princes of the Ming rebels.

Popular folk culture has it that the Nine Emperor Gods are actually sea pirates of the Ming Dynasty who plotted to overthrow the Qing Dynasty.

According to Priest Long Hua, this information is inaccurate and considered derogatory to the actual teachings of Taoism as the Nine Emperor Gods are actually high-ranking Star Lords [celestial devas] who preside over the movement of planets and coordinate mortal Life and Death issues [3].

The Nine Emperors pantheon is formed by the seven stars of the Big Dipper of the North Ursa Major (visible) and two assistant stars (invisible to most people).

The Nine Emperor Stars are:

1. Tan Lang Tai Xing Jun (貪狼太星君) 1st Star (visible) Bayer: α UMa
2. Ju Men Yuan Xing Jun (巨門元星君) 2nd Star (visible) Bayer: β UMa
3. Lu Cun Zhen Xing Jun (祿存貞星君) 3rd Star (visible) Bayer: γ UMa
4. Wen Qu Niu Xing Jun (文曲紐星君) 4th Star (visible) Bayer: δ UMa
5. Lian Zhen Gang Xing Jun (玉廉貞綱星君) 5th Star (visible) Bayer: ε UMa
6. Wu Qu Ji Xing Jun (武曲紀星君) 6th Star (visible) Bayer: ζ UMa
7. Po Jun Guan Xing Jun (破軍關星君) 7th Star (visible) Bayer: η UMa
8. Zuo Fu Da Dao Xing Jun (左輔大道星君) 8th Star (invisible)
9. You Bi Da Dao Xing Jun (右弼大道星君) 9th Star (invisible)

Nine Emperor Gods Festival celebration in popular folk culture

On the eve of the ninth moon, temples of the deities (devas) hold a ceremony to invoke and welcome the nine emperors. Since the arrival of the gods is believed to be through the waterways, processions are held from temples to the seashore or river to symbolize this belief.

Devotees dress in traditional white, carry incense and candles, and await their arrival. A carnival-like atmosphere pervades the temple throughout the nine-day festival.

During this period, the constant tinkling of a prayer bell and chants from the temple priests are heard. Most devotees stay at the temple, eat delicious vegetarian meals, maintain celibacy, and recite prayers in a continuous chant.

It is believed that there will be rain throughout the nine days of the celebration. The ninth day of the festival is its climax. A procession that draws scores of devotees sends the deities (devas) back home. 

Celebration in Thailand "Vegetarian Festival"

The characters เจ as often shown on stickers or flags indicate that food is vegetarian. The characters have been stylized to be reminiscent of Chinese writing.

In Thailand, this festival is called thetsakan kin che (เทศกาลกินเจ) or The Vegetarian Festival.

It is celebrated throughout the entire Buddhist country, but the festivities are at their height in Phuket (pronounced \pooh-keht\], where over the half of the population is Peranakans.

The Phuket Vegetarian Festival attracts crowds of Western spectators because of many of the unusual and magical (impossible) religious rituals that are performed [4, 5] for all to see. Young men lance themselves with all kinds of spears, hook, shards, and swords without bleeding or scarring, for example.

Shops in Phuket and throughout Thailand display red and yellow jay (vegetarian) flags to indicate they are serving appropriate vegan food for observant participants [6].

During the festival, food stalls sell Thai and Chinese foods free of all dead animal products. Noodle dishes, stir-fry's, curries, and soups are prepared without flesh, fish sauce, eggs, or dairy.

Realistic vegetarian faux-meats (from the Chinese Buddhist temple kitchen tradition) are used instead. The dishes are prepared without the use of garlic, chili, or strong spices (in accordance with ancient yogic Indian instructions) [7].

The American chef Dan Sriprasert used the vegan recipes he learned to make at his mother's food stall in Nan, Thailand during the festival to create the menu for the popular Green Elephant Vegetarian Bistro in the United States [8]. More

The Mass Meditation Initiative, L.A. 2018

DisclosureFest.com (meetup.com/disclosurefest); Ananda, Dhr. Seven, Wisdom Quarterly

Disclosure Fest: The Mass Meditation Initiative 2018 (sign up to get notified)

The Mass Meditation Initiative, Summer 2018, Los Angeles State Historic Park

I joined on meetup.com to get info. - K.D.

Disclosure Fest and California State Parks present: THE MASS MEDITATION INITIATIVE

• When? Saturday 2018
• LA State Historic Park
• FREE event open to public
• Gates open at 10:00 am PST

All ages and family and friends are welcome during a day of mind opening:

• guided meditations
• guest speakers
• live music
• sound baths
• light activations
• healing tents
• art exhibitions
• plant based foods
• conscious products
• contest giveaways
• and much more

Meditation centers, yoga studios, tai chi and qigong studios, healing institutes, and meetups can reserve a designated area for facility today! Register a facility. Wisdom Quarterly invites you to register and get free tickets for this event!

• 2017 TICKETS
• 2018 NOTIFICATION

Bored at "Burning Man" (music festival)

Editors, Wisdom Quarterly; Take Two Show (KPCC.org/SCPR.org, Aug. 31, 2016)

Ooh, people were topless, some bottomless. And they marched (burning-naked-man.com)

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Are we having fun yet, again?

It's get old over time. It's played out. What was once an ecstatic experience settles down and comes to seem normal. What was once transgressive is now NORML. What was once exciting is now, *yawn* Is that all there is? Is THAT all there is?!

(Cristina Monet/KioBlaze) This classic song is reworked for a grittier, circa 1980.

Smile. Life is not a dress rehearsal.

After 15 years of attendance, a Take Two correspondent out on the Playa of Black Rock Desert reports back that nudity and partying are not all they're cracked up to be, even when you meet your husband there and return every year chasing the (flaming) dragon.

The annual event jumped the shark when "Malcolm in the Middle" went out and filmed a funny episode of what it's like, the closest most Americans will ever get to the hedonistic extravaganza.

(High on Life) What Happens at BURNING MAN? (DIY documentary)

• Grover Norquist on why he's going to Burning Man (2014)
• Burning Man Made Easy, Part 1 (The Loh Life, 2008)
• Burning Man Made Easy, Part 2: Moisture (The Loh Life)

Burning Man: A great place to meet a venture capitalist... (Take Two, 2013)

Impact of reported Burning Man ticket sale hack (Take Two,2015)

Summer Music Festivals of L.A. (video)

Bliss Bowen (PasadenaWeekly.com); Crystal Quintero, Dhr. Seven, CC Liu, Seth Auberon, Wisdom Quarterly; eaglerockmusicfestival.org; EPR.la; FYFfest.com; LAWeekly.com

(Wochit.com) Compton's own Kendrick Lamar and electro-rockers LCD Soundsystem will headline the 2016 FYF Fest, LA's annual two-day music festival in August. Tame Impala, Grace Jones, Young Thug (Jeffrey), Beach House, and Grimes will also perform, marking perhaps the most impressive lineup to date for the festival, which started in 2004 and takes place at the Los Angeles Sports Arena & Exposition Park. Last year, Morrissey and Kanye West headlined -- the rapper being a last-minute (though hardly disappointing) replacement for Frank Ocean. Kendrick Lamar and LCD Soundsystem will also headline New York's Panorama Festival in July. feeds.mashable.com

Q: With all the music "festivals" going on in Southern California and the world, what are hipsters to do?

 

A: Save their money for this weekend's FYF Fest (fyffest.com) featuring Kendrick Lamar and Tame Impala followed by LCD Soundsystem and Grace Jones, plus too many supporting acts to mention.

A view of the lost city, Lost Angels, from the newly reopened Runyon Park (laweekly.com)

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Roots Revival: Eagle Rock Music Fest

The Eagle Rock Music Festival (ERMF) revives its mission and music this Saturday [8/20/16] with Orgone, Dengue Fever, Leftover Cuties, Jungle Fire, Boogaloo Assassins, and many others

What to do when your eclectic neighborhood music festival grows so popular that its success threatens to alienate the very people it’s intended to celebrate? In the case of Eagle Rock Music Festival, which launched in 1998, the answer was to regroup, downscale and rededicate.
 

Online (lionsroar.com)

In recent years ERMF attendance numbers hit six digits, which presented uncomfortable challenges for the community-oriented event.

Last year it was postponed as organizers took time out to consult with entities including the Los Angeles City Council, the Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council, and Occidental College to study various ways to keep it healthy yet still responsive to the local citizens and businesses it was created to serve.

Shakespeare (iscla.org)

Thus the shift from its usual early-October slot to this Saturday -- presumably a more family-friendly date -- and a strong lineup of mostly homegrown soul, funk, rock, and world artists. More

Echo Park Rising

 

South of Eagle Rock in the direction of DTLA, home of Dodger Stadium which just featured two nights of Guns n' Roses' "Not in this Lifetime" comeback tour, is a part of L.A. called Echo Park.

"Echo Park Rising" (epr.la/schedule) is a celebration of local and relocated bands from around the world. They all come here, Nashville, or New York to make it in the music business. And here they are playing a two-day festival that, sadly, competes with the Eagle Rock Music Fest.

Woodstock(s) on the eve of Coachella (video)

Seth Auberon, Ashley Wells, Pat Macpherson, CC Liu, Wisdom Quarterly; DocumentaryWorld

Coachella, the annual Burning Man/Bonaroo-style Woodstock event, is coming soon.

(Rick E. Lewis) "Before During & After Woodstock 99" trailer of locally produced documentary about the events surrounding Woodstock 99, NY. Produced by Rick E. Lewis.(Devon Rushton) Documentary: Woodstock 1969 opposing war, celebrating peace and love.

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While most Americans in the 60s went to Woodstock, more than 100 million in attendance, or so one would think from all the stories about that mythical event. 

In fact, relatively few went compared to the number who say they were there, and of those few paid. Most just walked in through a downed fences. Hipsters knew what was going to be there, not mainstream folks. While many on stage went on to become music legends -- they were not yet at that level. They had a little fame, some hits, but most of their fame was yet to come.

When Woodstock II happened in 1994 -- with Metallica, Cypress Hill, Bob Dylan, the Cranberries, Aerosmith, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Green Day, NIN, et al. -- a legend was reborn.

But it was Woodstock III in 1999 -- with Korn, Rage Against the Machine, Limp Bizkit, moe., ICP, DMX, DDT, Muse, James Brown, Bush, Moby, Ice Cube, Alanis Morissette, Metallica, Megadeth, Jewel, Sheryl Crow, Kid Rock, RHCP, et al. -- when a sort of riot ensued as "rambunctious" youth jumped up and down, bringing down fences, all with gleeful MTV cameras watching and hypocritical MTV hosts commenting.

Coachella is much more mellow than the Woodstocks, but some people just walk in. It's a large lawn, a polo field surrounded by desert hills, campgrounds, parking lots.

Woodstock '99
(RATM) Rage Against the Machine with Zack de la Rocha burn flag in protest, Woodstock 99

Prior to the concert, the promoters of the 1999 event were determined to avoid the gate-crashing (sneaking in without paying) that had occurred at previous festivals.
 
They characterized the site as "defensible," describing the 12-foot plywood-and-steel fence intended to keep out those without tickets. Along with the fence, about 500 New York State Police Troopers were hired for additional security (Wayback Machine). In addition to two main stages, secondary venues were available.

This included several alternate stages, a night-time rave music tent, and a film festival (sponsored by the Independent Film Channel) held in a former airplane hangar.
 
Woodstock '99 was conceived and executed as a commercial venture with dozens of corporate sponsors, and included the presence of vendor "malls" and modern accoutrements such as ATMs and e-mail stations (Joseph Maglitta, 1999, "Woodstock '99: Think E-Commerce, Dude," Computerworld 33: 42).

Tickets for the event were priced at $150 plus service charges (Alona Wartofsky, 1999, Woodstock '99 Goes Up in Smoke, The Washington Post), at the time considered costly for a festival of this type (Andy Bennet, 2004, "Remembering Woodstock," England: Ashgate Publishing Limited: 36) More

 

Free concert

Woodstock: Aquarian Exposition in Wallkill

Woodstock did not begin as a free concert (though very reasonably priced) but it became one. As many as a million tried to come, and an estimated 500,000 made it.

As Wiki explains, the late change in venue -- to a farm in Woodstock, NY -- did not give the festival organizers enough time to prepare. At a meeting three days before the event, organizers felt they had two options.

One was to complete the fencing and ticket booths, without which the promoters were almost certain to lose their shirts; the other involved putting their remaining resources into building the stage, without which the promoters feared they would have a disappointed and disgruntled audience.

When the audience began arriving by the tens of thousands, the next day, on Wednesday before the weekend, the decision had been made for them (Rosenman, Robers, & Pilpel, 1974, Making Woodstock, Kindle eBook). "The fences at Woodstock" became an oxymoron, while the stage at Woodstock gave birth to a legend.

Castaways saved on remote Pacific Island after spelling "HELP"
Woman manages to survive in Arizona wilderness, writes "help" with sticks