Sam Yasgur Sam Yasgur Samuel S. Yasgur (January 9, 1942 – June 23, 2016) was an attorney; Sullivan County, New York official; and the son of Max Yasgur, who leased land on his dairy farm in Bethel, New York for the Woodstock Music & Art Festival in August 1969. Yasgur has said that his "consultations with his father" played a crucial role in the concert coming to Bethel. He grew up on his father's farm, and was a graduate of Cornell University and the University of Chicago School of Law. Yasgur was a 27-year-old assistant district attorney in Manhattan when his father
Max Yasgur also believed strongly in freedom of expression, and was angered by the hostility of some townspeople toward "anti-war hippies". Hosting the festival became, for him, a "cause". On the third day of the festival, just before Joe Cocker's early afternoon set, Yasgur addressed the crowd. Many of his neighbors turned against him after the festival, and he was no longer welcome at the town general store, but he never regretted his decision to allow the concert on his farm. On January 7, 1970, he was sued by his neighbors for property damage caused by the concert attendees. However, the damage