Welcome To Bethel Township

Bethel was the actual location of the Woodstock Festival in 1969. Because it was originally scheduled to take place in the Town of Woodstock in Ulster County, New York, that name persisted in spite of the change in venue. Many impromptu gatherings celebrating the "Woodstock" anniversary have been held over the years on the site located at the intersection of Hurd Road and West Shore Road. These gatherings were a celebration of the "Woodstock" spirit and attended by thousands of people. At the 25th anniversary, the crowd (in excess of 10,000 beautiful people) were entertained by Melanie, Richie Haven, Arlo Guthrie, Mountain (with Noel Redding) and many others. In 1998 a concert was given at the original site and this helped ignite the vision of philanthropist Alan Gerry and daughter, Robyn, to acquire the land and build what was to become Bethel Woods Center for the Arts.

In 2008, almost 40 years since Woodstock, an interactive museum commemorating Woodstock and the Baby Boomer generation is exected to open in a beautifully designed building at the entrance to Bethel Woods. On July 1st, 2006 Bethel Woods Center for the Arts opened on the site of the original Woodstock Festival and hosted the New York Philharmonic. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young closed out the inaugural season in August 2006, bringing the harmonious foursome back to Bethel for the first time since August 1969. The summer of 2007 concert lineup at Bethel Woods began on June 2007 with Chicago/America. Other performers from June 2007 to September 2007 included the New York Philharmonic, Bob Dylan, Brad Paisley, Lynrd Skynrd witb The Marshall Tucker Band, Earth, Wind & Fire, Arlo Guthrie/Richie Havens, and others. On December 15, 2006, the Federal government gave approval for a major casino/resort to be built a few miles from Bethel at Monticello Raceway. However, a final decision must be made by the Department of the Interior. New York State Governor Eliot Spitzer has given his approval for the casino but a final decision rests with Dirk Kempthorne, the Secretary of the Interior in the Bush Administration.

The February 2007 Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue contained a photo of a woman photographed with the 1969 Woodstock Festival emblem across her chest. During the summer of 2007, New York's Whitney Museum held a highly-publicized exhibit, "Summer of Love" that included numerous photographs of the Woodstock festival that were marked with "Bethel, NY". Bethel's Kauneonga Lake, home of the famous Vassmers General Store as seen in the movie, Woodstock, roared back to life in 2007 with three new lakeside restaurants, including one in what was the Vassmers' store. Some of the Sullivan County's best restaurants in Bethel: The Front Porch, Benji & Jakes (brick oven pizza and live music), The Fat Lady Cafe (live jazz on Friday nights) and The R&B Grille, which coordinates its live music schedule so that it has the same genre as Bethel Woods lineup.

Daniel Sturm, a Democrat, will take over as Town Supervisor in January 2008 after defeating incumbent Harold Russell. The town faces tough decisions over numerous proposals for large-scale housing and commercial developments spurred on by demand for affordable real estate not found in neighboring counties.