THE POWDER RIDGE ROCK FESTIVAL

Middlefield, Connecticut

30 July - 2 August 1970

What was planned as the Second Woodstock to have taken place in the summer of 1970 

was cancelled by the nervous local officials with court orders. The local officials in Middlefield, 

Connecticut didn’t believe they or the surrounding communities could support and manage the 

projected 30,000 young visitors who wanted another great happening and concert weekend. 

 Some of the biggest names in the world of rock including Joe Cocker, Allman Brothers, 

Janis Joplin, Sly and the Family Stone, James Taylor, Van Morrison, Little Richard, Richie Havens, 

Jethro Tull and many other top musicians were scheduled. 

However, the musicians were told not to show up in the days before the festival was to have begun.

Even though there were some news releases about this cancellation more than 25,000 youngsters 

showed up anyway. They had paid for their tickets in advance and were going to

 Powder Ridge - hell or high water

Powder Ridge became a festival of friendship, drugs and sex.

Magnum Photographer Leonard Freed was in Amsterdam, Holland during the time of the 1969 Woodstock Festival. He had just moved back to New York in 1970 when he heard about the Powder Ridge Rock Festival and wasn’t going to miss this one for anything. As the festival was officially cancelled Leonard Freed became one of the few professional photographers who became a part of this amazing event and he recorded key scenes for the historical record. Some of these photographs were found in Freed’s personal collection and have never been shown to the public before. Freed died in 2006.

☉ Source