Laguna Woodstock was back in the Village last weekend, and hundreds of residents and their guests came to experience – or relive – the music and the vibes of the ‘60s.
A sea of tie-dye tops, peasant blouses, mini-skirts, fringed vests, peace signs, headbands and flowers rolled over the front lawn and patios of Clubhouse 2 on Saturday, June 25.
People had staked out their spots at the festival early: Pop-up canopies, lawn chairs, coolers and tables laden with food and drink blanketed the grass.
Inside the clubhouse, a face painter, henna artist, tarot card reader, jewelry and clothing vendors, and photographers manning photo booths kept festival-goers happy.
“People can let loose, have fun, act like they did years ago and make some memories,” said Nadine Asner, president of the Boomers Club, which has hosted the music fest for about a dozen years. “We can all use that after the past several years.”
And did they ever let loose, the pandemic a far-distant memory. Hippies and hippie wanna-bes packed the patio, grooving to the music of Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, CSNY, Jefferson Airplane, the Who, CCR, Santana and more, provided by three bands: Lifetime Rockers, for their first time at Laguna Woodstock; Village band The Nomads; and fan favorites Love Saves the Day as the headliner.
Robin Smith dances to the music during the annual Laguna Woodstock music festival in Laguna Woods Village on Saturday, June 25, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Wearing various types of fashion popular during the 1960s, people hit the dance floor Laguna Woodstock in Laguna Woods Village on Saturday, June 25, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Brian Parke creates a large bubble Laguna Woodstock in Woods Village on Saturday, June 25, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Lifetime Rockers play at Laguna Woodstock in Laguna Woods on Saturday, June 25, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
People walk up the driveway at Laguna Woodstock in Laguna Woods Village on Saturday, June 25, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Pop-up shade structures cover the lawn in front of Clubhouse 2 at Laguna Woodstock in Laguna Woods Village on Saturday, June 25, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A woman dressed in 60’s attire dances to the music at Laguna Woodstock in Laguna Woods Village on Saturday, June 25, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
The Nomads play during Laguna Woodstock in Laguna Woods Village on Saturday, June 25, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Friends pose for a photo at Laguna Woodstock in Laguna Woods Village on Saturday, June 25, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
People dance to the music of Lifetime Rockers at Laguna Woodstock in Laguna Woods Village on Saturday, June 25, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Friends pose in the photo booth at Laguna Woodstock in Laguna Woods Village
on Saturday, June 25, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Gloria Hobbs takes photos of people dancing at Laguna Woodstock in Laguna Woods Village on Saturday, June 25, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
People take a break in the shade at Clubhouse 2 at Laguna Woodstock in Laguna Woods Village on Saturday, June 25, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
People dance to the music of The Nomads at Laguna Woodstock in Laguna Woods on Saturday, June 25, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Dressed in 60s attire, Robert and Robin Smith relax in their shade tent at Laguna Woodstock in Laguna Woods Village on Saturday, June 25, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A man dances to the music of Lifetime Rockers at Laguna Woodstock in Laguna Woods Village on Saturday, June 25, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Tami Halle, left, and Mary Zolly take a selfie at Laguna Woodstock in Laguna Woods Village on Saturday, June 25, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
A peace sign graces the face of this attendee of Laguna Woodstock in Laguna Woods Village on Saturday, June 25, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
People walk among the pop-up shade structures that cover the lawn in front of Clubhouse 2 at Laguna Woodstock in Laguna Woods Village on Saturday, June 25, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Tie-dye clothing, peace sign necklaces and sunglasses are worn by many on the dance floor at Laguna Woodstock in Laguna Woods Village on Saturday, June 25, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
Friends have their photo taken next to signs posted on palm trees as they attend the annual Laguna Woodstock music festival at Laguna Woods Village in Laguna Woods on Saturday, June 25, 2022. (Photo by Mark Rightmire, Orange County Register/SCNG)
“It’s a great release for everybody here. They come out and they feel like they can just be themselves,” said Jeff Richards.
Richards and his wife, Roshell, have lived in the Village for a year and a half and it was their second Laguna Woodstock. The couple and their guests embraced the vibe and fit right in with their ‘60s attire.
“Everybody is just having a lot of fun and enjoying it, and I’m glad that they have this event,” said Roshell Richards. “I think it’s a good thing for the community that we live in especially.”
“There’s such a diverse age group,” Jeff Richards added. “There’s people here with their grandkids that don’t belong here age-wise, but they love to feel a part of it, and they are learning a bit about it – that’s the good thing.”
Four-year resident Dianna Rimer was enjoying the music fest with her mom, Dottie Vartanian.
“Everybody is happy. They’re just forgetting about their problems and being in the moment,” Rimer said. “It really raises the morale in the community. There’s a lot of fear right now in the world, so to come back and be present is where it’s at.”
For many at the festival, Laguna Woodstock brought back memories of the iconic 1969 event in upstate New York.
“It was just one of those defining things for that generation in the ‘60s,” said Lee Pound. “It’s something that most of us kind of grew up with, but it was more about just getting away from the old restrictions, and a little bit more about freedom and just enjoying life, having a good time.”
Asner, the Boomers Club president, was at the original Woodstock as a teenager and says she was “forever changed by the event.”
“Even though there was limited food, water, restrooms and pay phones, there was a shared sense of community that spontaneously evolved,” she said. “I think it was a unique moment in history.”
But on Saturday, it was all about the present moment.
“It makes me feel good to see all these people out here partying, and some of them are way older than Woodstock,” Jeff Richards said. “I hope when we’re their age, we’re still here having a good time.”
