Yes, this is the town that has given its name to music festivals, and has earned a reputation as home to one of the most exciting periods of American popular music. The festivals were actually held elsewhere, but many of the creative people who made them what they were have been part of the charmed life of Woodstock, and some still reside here among our wooded hills. Another thing that many people
don't know is that back in the nineteenth century, long before our present fame, the Woodstock area was known internationally as a center for American artists and craftspeople. Then in 1902 the famed Byrdcliffe arts and crafts colony was established and, shortly afterward, the Art Students League of New York City opened a summer school here. To complete the artistic environment we also have important recital halls upon whose stages distinguished classical, jazz and popular music ensembles regularly perform. Soon we will take pride in adding a new performing arts center. All of this is set amid lovely forested mountains, with some of the most scenic rural vistas to be found anywhere. Not bad for a little town which began centuries ago as a hub of farming, quarrying and tanning! To this day, many of our townspeople are engaged in trades and professions having little to do with art or music, though quite a few are also involved in artistic pursuits. We are carpenters and electricians, maintenance workers and computer programmers, service workers and homemakers. It must be said that the historic relationship between our artists and non-artists has created the social dynamic that allows our town to flourish and earn the fame that has descended upon it. We have a small but vigorous commercial center dotted with shops, many of which sell unique wares ranging from candles to antiques, and from rare books to unusual crafts. (Someone joked that Woodstock is the place to find a good pair of organic shoelaces.) Our restaurants and cafes offer you fine dining experiences, and you will find comfortable accommodations in our little motels, guesthouses, and bed-and-breakfasts. Some are linked to this website under the section on Tourism, as are many of our galleries and other businesses.
