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Peace and music

Stamp to celebrate Woodstock festival

Woodstock stamps
The Woodstock stamp features a dove and the words “3 Days of Peace and Music,” a slogan that pays homage to the festival’s original promotional poster.

The Postal Service will mark the 50th anniversary of one of the world’s most famous music festivals when it releases the Woodstock stamp Thursday, Aug. 8.

The stamp honors the four-day Woodstock Music and Art Festival that was held in August 1969.

The year marked the end of a turbulent decade of urban riots, civil rights and feminist activism, assassinations of notable leaders, and an increasingly unpopular view of the Vietnam War.

The Woodstock festival attracted a young generation of Americans, many of whom had become disillusioned with mainstream culture and adopted countercultural or “hippie” lifestyles.

The free event, held in Bethel, NY, featured more than 30 performers, including the Grateful Dead, The Who, Sly and the Family Stone, Santana, and Jimi Hendrix, whose electric guitar rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” became one of the festival’s most famous moments.

Antonio Alcalá, a USPS art director, designed the Woodstock stamp, which features an image of a dove along with the words “3 Days of Peace and Music,” a slogan that pays homage to the festival’s original promotional poster.

The stamp, available in panes of 20, will be sold at Post Offices and usps.com.

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