The town name used for the festival was Woodstock, even though the event was ultimately held about 60 miles away in Bethel, New York. The distance is one of the most famous quirks in the festival’s history.
The name came from the organizers’ connection to the Woodstock area and its reputation as an artists’ community. Woodstock Ventures initially explored holding the festival near the town of Woodstock, but that plan did not work out. Other potential locations, including Saugerties and Wallkill, also failed to become the final venue.
The organizers eventually secured Max Yasgur’s dairy farm in Bethel, where the festival took place from August 15 to 18, 1969. By then, advertisements, contracts, and public attention had established the Woodstock name, so changing it would have been impractical.
Bethel is therefore the correct geographic location, while Woodstock is the name associated with the festival. Wallkill was an earlier proposed site, not the final one.