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Grand marks Woodstock anniversary

NEW ULM — It was a weekend that perhaps captured the essence of a generation, and an event that remains an inspiring moment of the counterculture movement.

This weekend marks the 50th anniversary of Woodstock, the infamous music festival that drew nearly 400,000 people to farmland in rural upstate New York in 1969.

To commemorate the weekend of “peace and music,” The Grand Center for Arts and Culture is hosting a Woodstock inspired celebration Sunday with a spree of activities.

Dubbed “I Was THERE, Man!,” the all-day Woodstock experience includes live music by local musicians and an interactive Woodstock show at 3:30 p.m., The Grand’s Executive Director Anne Makepeace said

“Woodstock was a peaceful event,” Makepeace said. “I think people thought the kids in that era were wild and crazy, but basically they pulled off these incredibly calm, peaceful three days of love and music.”

The interactive show, performed by Ellie Presents, features a small cast from Chicago, complete with music, daisy chains, homemade granola and handmade love beads themed after 30 bands and musicians that played at Woodstock.

Ellie Carlson, of Ellie Presents, said a goal of the interactive show is to give people a feel of how it would have been to experience Woodstock. She said five members of the audience will be pulled to participate in the show and incorporated into the performance.

“We try to make people feel like they were there,” Carlson said.

Homemade granola and hashish fudge, although not laced with an illicit substance, will also be handed out to the audience. Carlson, who also visited New Ulm in November 2018 as the hatchet-wielding temperance movement figure Carrie Nation, said she tries to incorporate as many interactive activities into the show as possible.

She encourages people to show up in 60s-era clothing.

“We love it when people dress up,” Carlson said. “It makes the experience so much more fun.”

Carlson said if any of the audience members have been to Woodstock, or have a connection with someone who had attended the music festival, she and other cast members want to talk to them.

“It’s an interactive Woodstock show,” Makepeace said. “So [Carlson] is going to involve all of the audience. You’re going to be a guest at Woodstock.”

Makepeace said the celebration is also very kid-friendly with other events happening on the grounds including t-shirt tye-dying, giant butterfly and life-size hippie cut-out instant photos and a display of vintage Volkswagen buses and a VW Bug.

A hippie camp will also be set up outside with various merchandise for sale including love beads, head bands and small leather bags.

Makepeace said The Grand will also auction vintage, original Woodstock tickets with posters and a “Best Music of Woodstock” CD.

Local artist Mark Hoffmann will also create psychedelic chalk art on the sidewalk in front of The Grand.

Lola’s food truck is offering grass-fed burgers, many other well known food items and Woodstock themed dishes such as a “Wavy Gravy” rice and bean bowl.

Local musicians playing tunes from Woodstock are Scott Sparlin, Tony Berg, Terry Sveine and Bruce Melzer.

Makepeace said The Grand is offering an experience that aims to capture a piece of Woodstock and a phenomenon that “identified a whole era.” Although Makepeace wasn’t old enough to attend Woodstock in 1969, she said she still remembers when it happened.

“It’s a pretty amazing, iconic event of a generation,” Makepeace said. “What we’re trying to do here is have fun with it.”

Adult tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door the day of the event. Tickets are $5 for children 12 or younger. Advance tickets can be purchased at The Grand, the New Ulm Chamber of Commerce or online at eventbrite.com.

Tickets include access to the grounds all day, one free drink and seats at the Woodstock interactive show at 3:30 p.m. featuring Ellie Presents and her cast.

Gage Cureton can be emailed at gcureton@nujournal.com.

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