Bethel Woods, Site of 1969 Woodstock Festival, Celebrates another Historic Semi-Centennial during Lunar Fest
1969 marked an exceptional year of cultural consciousness. Just weeks before the 1969 Woodstock festival, the world was captivated and intrigued by another monumental event: the first manned moon landing. Space Exploration was a profound expedition that harnessed the power of media to reach people in ways never known before. This year, from May 17-19, Bethel Woods will recognize the evolution, tenacity, and legacy of the human spirit through such revolutionary times during Lunar Weekend.
The festivities kick off on Friday, May 17th with a Lunar Sleepover. Guests are invited to partake in activities including a talent show, star gazing, and night tours of the historic festival field. Plus, attendees will then be of the first through the doors the following morning for the start of Lunar Fest. On Saturday, May 18th and Sunday, May 19th, space enthusiasts will tour the Universe in an inflatable Planetarium, see what it means to be an astronaut and explore creative spaces where art and science meet. The Museum at Bethel Woods’ Crossroads Gallery We are Stardust interprets the objects and history surrounding the moon landing through the lens of American culture, examining the effect of the Cold War/Space Race, American space program, “moon mania,” and the eventual national success of putting the first man on the moon on the lives of everyday Americans at the end of the tumultuous 1960s.
Lunar Fest takes place on the same weekend of the New York premiere of Deep Field– a powerful new piece of music inspired by the Hubble Space Telescope and its greatest discovery, the iconic Deep Field image, presented by renowned speaker and Grammy-winning composer Eric Whitacre. Whitacre is joined by NASA astronomers, scientists and astrophysicists to delve into space exploration as not only a scientific venture, but an artistic and cultural one as well.
For more information about these events and any happening at Bethel Woods during A Season of Song and Celebration, please visit BethelWoodsCenter.Org.
