When you think of the famous 1969 Woodstock Music and Art Festival, what are the first things that come to mind? The good people over at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts have been pushing for the past 18 years to ensure the first two words are “peace” and “love” – and for good reason.

The festival was one of a kind. It offered a glimpse of what the world might be able to look like, deep in the midst of an unpopular foreign war and other aggressions from the east. The historic site truly is ground zero of peace and love, with the message being boosted this weekend from August 16 to 18 as it enters its 55th anniversary.

Reflecting on the past, and on the promise to put peace in the spotlight upheld by over half a million people in 1969, leads one to linger on the tribulations of today, both domestic and overseas. It seems almost everywhere you turn, there is an omen of bad fortune waiting to be delivered. The exposure to current events happening worldwide is much greater than it was in 1969, thanks to social media and our 24-hour news cycle. 

But back then, in the effort of achieving peace and love, humanity displayed and put into practice its best, sprawled out over the rolling hills of Max Yasgur’s Farm – a feat of sheer volume that has never been replicated since. And as many from that original festival get older, it may never will be achieved again.

But who says that the spirit of an earnest calling for peace and love towards our neighbors can’t be replicated today? Coming fresh off the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, the athletic spirit of unification under one banner remains strong with the announcement of USA’s number one ranking in the final medal count. In unison, we toast the hundreds of athletes who brought home these awards. 

As the world steps back from the games, it is with great hope that the global presence of peace and love that was exhibited in Paris these past few weeks, which was best displayed in Bethel five and a half decades ago, sets the tone for the next steps into the future. 

Peace is possible, and love still is the mission.