Max Yasgur
American farmer (1919–1973)
Why this is trending
Interest in “Max Yasgur” spiked on Wikipedia on 2026-02-26.
Categorised under History, this article fits a familiar pattern. Historical topics gain renewed attention when tied to commemorations, documentaries, or current events that echo past episodes.
GlyphSignal tracks these patterns daily, turning raw Wikipedia traffic data into a curated feed of what the world is curious about. Every spike tells a story.
Key Takeaways
- Max Bernard Yasgur (December 15, 1919 – February 9, 1973) was an American farmer.
- He sold his farm in 1971 and retired to Florida, where he died in 1973.
- Sam had been born in Minsk, now in Belarus, and Bella had been born in Poland.
- By the late 1960s, he was the largest milk producer in Sullivan County, New York.
- At the time of the festival in 1969, Yasgur was married to Miriam (Mimi) Gertrude Miller Yasgur and had a son, Sam (1942–2016) and daughter, Lois (1944–1977).
Max Bernard Yasgur (December 15, 1919 – February 9, 1973) was an American farmer. He was the owner of the 600-acre (240 ha) dairy farm in Bethel, New York, where the Woodstock Music and Art Fair was held on August 15–18, 1969. He sold his farm in 1971 and retired to Florida, where he died in 1973.
Personal life and dairy farming
Yasgur was born in Manhattan, New York City, to Jewish immigrants Samuel and Bella (née Feder) Yasgur. Sam had been born in Minsk, now in Belarus, and Bella had been born in Poland. Max was raised with his brother Isidore (1926–2010) on the family's farm (where his parents also ran a small hotel) and attended New York University, studying real estate law.
By the late 1960s, he was the largest milk producer in Sullivan County, New York. His farm had 650 cows, mostly Guernseys.
At the time of the festival in 1969, Yasgur was married to Miriam (Mimi) Gertrude Miller Yasgur and had a son, Sam (1942–2016) and daughter, Lois (1944–1977). His son was an assistant district attorney in New York City at the time.
In later years, it was revealed that Yasgur was in fact a conservative Republican who supported the Vietnam War. Nevertheless, he felt that the Woodstock festival could help business at his farm and also tame the generation gap. Despite claims that he showed disapproval towards the treatment of the counterculture movement, this allegation was never confirmed. Woodstock promoter Michael Lang, who considered Yasgur to be his "hero," stated that Yasgur was "the antithesis" of what the Woodstock festival stood for. Yasgur's early death prevented him from answering questions about why he agreed to allow the festival to take place at his farm.
Content sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0
