Travel Passes for Woodstock at Bethel Woods: How do they work? – Poughkeepsie Journal

John W. Barry


Poughkeepsie Journal

Published 9:58 AM EDT Aug 15, 2019

Officials in the Town of Bethel and Sullivan County are expecting as many as 100,000 people to attempt to visit the original site of the Woodstock Music and Art Fair this weekend as the landmark festival celebrates its 50th anniversary.

But, only those with a ticket to celebratory shows held each night at Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, which sits on the original festival site, will be permitted to enter the grounds. And as officials attempt to mitigate traffic in the Route 17B corridor, any car in the area will need a travel pass.

How do the travel passes work?

One travel pass was to be sent out to each ticket purchaser, with an additional travel pass supplied to anyone who purchased more than four tickets, Bethel Woods said. Different travel passes were sent out for each night.

Upon arrival to the Bethel Woods area, visitors will be guided by state police through roadways into the Bethel Woods traffic pattern, where they will be asked to present a travel pass to be scanned for entrance into the parking lot.

Your travel pass must be visible and displayed from your rear-view mirror prior to entering the Bethel Woods traffic pattern. If coming to separate events you must display separate passes for each event. 

What if I didn’t get a travel pass?

Anyone showing up with tickets but without a travel pass will be diverted to a remote box office at 53 Pucky Huddle Road to verify they belong on site.

A Bethel Woods spokesperson said all passes had been mailed to all those who registered for them as of last Friday.

What else is being done about traffic?

Carpooling or using park-and-ride areas are encouraged.  

Taxi drivers and car services that expect to move through the area during the weekend should contact Bethel Woods for a travel pass.

The Town of Bethel is prohibiting vehicles on or near the venue from parking on roadways or shoulders. Cars will be towed to keep roads clear for traffic and emergency vehicles. 

Traffic information on the weekend can be found on local radio stations, Sullivan County government’s social media, and alert.ny.gov.

When will traffic be worst?

State police have warned visitors to avoid the Route 17 and 17B in Sullivan County, predicting traffic to be worst on Route 17 westbound between the Thruway tolls in Harriman and Exit 104 for Route 17B in Monticello. Peak traffic times westbound are expected to be between 1 and 7 p.m. each day, with eastbound traffic peaking between 11 p.m. and 2 a.m., as each night’s festivities end.

What if I just want to visit the famous monument?

Though non-ticketed visitors will not be welcome to visit Bethel Woods on their own this weekend, a shuttle will be available for those who simply want to step onto the festival field.

The bus will run to and from the Woodstock monument from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day, leaving from two locations: Swan Lake and the Monticello Raceway. “They will be short trips back and forth,” said Roberta Lockwood, president of Sullivan County Visitors Association.