JOHNNY WINTER People's Fair under the sign of Cancer 1970 #johnnywinter

Summer of '70: The People's Fair Rocks Wisconsin

Synopsis: In June 1970, a three-day rock festival called "People's Fair Under the Sign of Cancer" was organized in Portage County, Wisconsin. The event was planned by Earth's Enterprises with financial backing from local businessmen. The festival aimed to attract over 30,000 young people and featured nationally renowned rock, blues, and folk artists.

The organizers faced challenges in securing the location and obtaining necessary permits. Despite some initial disputes, they worked closely with local authorities to ensure the safety and well-being of attendees. Law enforcement officials stepped up plans to control the event, addressing concerns about traffic, crowd management, and potential disturbances.

The festival ultimately took place on a 200-acre farm lying in the towns of Iola in Waupaca County and Newhope in Portage County. It drew a diverse crowd, including hippies and music enthusiasts from across the country. The event featured performances by various artists, including Buffy St. Marie, Johnny Winter, Buddy Rich, Ravi Shankar, and Paul Butterfield.

The atmosphere was described as a big pot party, with attendees openly using and selling drugs. Some expressed concerns about the lack of organization and the prevalence of illegal activities. Despite these challenges, the festival proceeded with thousands of people camping on the hill and enjoying the music and carnival-like atmosphere.

The event also generated mixed reactions from the local community. While some residents were apprehensive about the influx of young people, others embraced the festival's economic benefits and cultural significance. Overall, the "People's Fair Under the Sign of Cancer" left a lasting impact on the region, marking a significant moment in the history of rock festivals in the Midwest.

People's Fair under the sign of Cancer

The Stevens Point Daily Journal previews the Rock Festival "People's Fair under the sign of Cancer" to be held 26, 27, 28 June 1970.

Rock Festival Here May Attract 30,000

Promoters of a three-day rock festival in Portage County hope to attract more than 30,000 young people here June 26. 27 and 28. The festival, called the "People's Fair Under the Sign of Cancer" is being organized by Earth's Enterprises with financial backing from unidentified local businessmen. Fritz Von Buchholtz, Town of Stockton, who deals in off-campus rental bousing here and heads Earth's Enterprises, would not reveal the location of the festival yet. "The land has not been sealed so all I can say now is that it's going to be in Portage County." He expects to sign a contract for the land within the next few days and wants to avoid publicity that may hinder the arrangements.

Many nationally famed rock, blues and folk artists have been lined up for the festival, said Van Buchholtz. "We have put money down in advance on contracts," he said. "It's safe to say we have them, however, it's not sealed, but it's as sealed as you're going to get at this stage." He said the groups have accepted the dates and he is awaiting the return of contracts The Steve Miller Band, Buffy St. Marie, Johnny Winter, Taj Mahal, Paul Butterfield, and Buddy Rich are pretty firmly committed, said Von Buchholtz. "There are more national bands, but we're still in the process of talking with and making agreements," he added. Von Buchholtz said plans for sanitary facilities, medical assistance, electric power and water "have already been taken care of."

He said doctors and medical aid will be available around the clock. About three times as much water as was used at a recent festival near Poynette will be made available, the reported. Von Buchholtz said he is bringing together the biggest gathering of national rock talent ever to perform in the Midwest. Von Buchholtz said 30,000 tickets have been printed. Although Von Buchholtz was reluctant to indicate the tentative location of the festival, it is generally known in the community that the site under consideration is in the Town of Sharon, about 10 miles northeast of Stevens Point. There has been some dispute between Von Buchholtz and an earlier partner in the venture, Ray Goddard, Stevens Point.

Goddard called the Daily Journal and said that Von Buchholtz had raised money to pay the bands before he had and then squeezed him out of the deal. Von Buchholtz said Earth's Enterprises needed to r a i s e $100 immediately to secure the bands and that be gave Goddard ample time to raise the money after he had raised his own share and had to seek other financial backing when Goddard failed to get the funds together. "We are not in this out of any extreme profit motiv«," Von Buchholtz said. He said he is keeping the price of the tickets well below what they have been for similar events and that most of the revenue will go to pay for the bands, insurance and facilities.

Von Buchholtz this morning said that he had seen Goddard Wednesday evening and offered him another 10 days to buy into the company or buy complete Interest in the festival. He said Goddard refused the offer.

Source & Full Article: 70-05-07 Stevens Point, WI

Promoters of festival work with Sheriff

7 May 1970 Stevens Point Daily Journal

Portage County Sheriff Nick Check has been working with promoters of a rock festival! here to locate a site for the event, planned for June 26, 27 and 28. Fritz Von Buchholtz, president of Earth's Enterprises, which is backing the festival, said, "We have been working in absolute cooperation with the Sheriff's Department It probably wouldn't hurt to mention that Sheriff Check has really been good on this." Check said this morning that 'if the festival is held in this county — and from all indications it will be — we intend to see that conditions are as normal as possible." "We want to insure," Check continued, "that neighbors and people who normally travel through the area where the festival will be held won't be bothered." He said control of traffic would be the principal problem.

Check said he had been in contact with the festival promoters since the initial planning stages and said they "assured me complete cooperation from the rock groups themselves." He also said he had been in touch with authorities in Columbia County, where a recent rock festival attracted 20,000 people. He said the tentative site here in the Town of Sharon compares favorably with the site at Poynette. The sheriff said he may hold traffic In the festival area down to 10 miles per hour. He said he expects the area might become congested by people driving by just to look. Check said he had been in touch with the Town of Sharon board to see about the possibilities of obtaining a permit to sell beer on the festival grounds.

He said issuing such a permit gives authorities greater control over liquor on the premises He said Columbia County Sheriff Vearn Golz had told him those attending the Poynette festival were "fairly well behaved."

Source & Full Article: 70-05-07 Stevens Point, WI

Officials Brace for Rock Festival

Thursday 18 June 1970 The Post-Crescent Newspaper

BY BILL KNUTCON Post-Crescent Staff Writer STEVENS POINT

Law enforcement officials in Portage and Waupaca counties are stepping up plans to control a rock festival scheduled for the weekend of June 26-29. "We've resigned ourselves to the fact there is going to be a rock festival." Portage County Sheriff Nick Check said today. Although "a number of meetings have been held in the past weeks." attempts to halt the event have been unsuccessful. Check said. Larry Schumann, festival producer, announced at a Madison news conference Wednesday that the event would be held on a 200-acre farm lying in the towns of lola in Waupaca County and Newhope in Portage County \ Check said the farm site is, near Portage County Trunk. MM. about seven miles northwest of lola. It was learned today that the farm, once owned by Roy Rustad, was sold for $20.000 this week to James R Sitton of Madison.

The land then was leased to sponsors of the festival. Check said the farm has a barn but no living quarters. Plans for the festival "originated right here in Stevens j Point," Check explained. He said that he and Waupaca Count Sheriff Loran Frazier visited the festival site Wednesday. "Where the thing is held is immaterial as long as it is some reasonable area as far as traffic is concerned." Check said. Asked if the farm site were a "reasonable area." Check replied that it was "as good as could be expected." There will always be complaints from neighbors." he added.

Check said that although he was aware several months ago that a rock festival might be held in the area, he was not told of the site choice until Wednesday. F r a z i e r reportedly was working on an investigation and was not available for comment this morning. Schumann s a i d that en trance to the festival will be through the 50 acres of farm land King in the Town of Newhope, while entertainment will be on the 150 acres on the Waupaca Count} side The reason for the separation. Schumann, said, is that the Portage County land is zoned for agriculture, while the Waupaca County portion is not zoned. Schumann would not reveal the name of the farm owner. He said that the festival sponsor's attorney would meet with Check and Frazier today, but Check said he had received no request for such a meeting. "We intend to control" the event. Check said.

"We made this plan long ago." Although stating that law enforcement help would be summoned from outside the two counties. Check declined to say what form the assistance would take or how much help would be asked Check also declined to speculate on how many people the festival w o u l d attract, although Schumann said the tickets sales were going very well" and "at least 20.000" participants were expected. He said that most of those who bought tickets so far are from Milwaukee. Such performers as Buffy St. Marie, Johnny Winter. Buddy Richy Ravi Shankar and Paul Butterfield, along with several local groups, are scheduled to appear during the three days.

Entertainment will not be continuous and the festival will have a carnival atmosphere, with Indian dances and rides, Schumann said A rock festival held in April on the Irene York farm drew an estimated 20.000 people on the final day. Mrs York, an elderly widow, was charged with several zoning violations. A festival which had been planned for the Shiocton area in Outagamie County last month was canceled after county officials found that sewage facilities at the site were inadequate. The man on whose land the festival was to have been held said, however, that the event was canceled because things '"got out of hand." Outagamie County Sheriff Calvin Spice and members of the Town of Liberty Board had registered strong objections to the festival plans.

Source & Full Article: 70-06-18 Appleton, WI.pdf

Thousands swarm to Iola, Scene gets early start at Rock Festival

Friday 26 June 1970 The Post-Crescent

BY FERN SMITH Post--Crescent Staff Writer IOLA —

The early pre-Rock Fest hours of the People's Fair brought hippies by the thousands — on foot, on bikes, on motorcycles and in ears. Thursday a f t e r n o o n they blocked the entrance to the gate as they purchased their ticket — but one out of three had come with "no bread,"' asking for jobs and begging free admission. The heavy traffic continued up to midnight and this morning the traffic is light. Management estimates that there are 10.000 camping on the hill and 50.000 to 75,000 are expected. The music, originally scheduled to begin at noon today. will not start until 6 p.m. and continue through 11 p m Sunday.

The scene was the beginning of a big pot party. As tents went up and banners and flags took to the breeze, groups gathered before their tents and in the long gra»s. Walking up the hil! to the site, small bands of 16 and 17-year olds offered the climbers a lid of pot for $5. Signs marked the spot for purchasing Shangai red (the best grade of marijuana;, LSD, mescaline. One south, a 17-year-old, was asked to leave the camp He had been pushing the grass at 5$ a lid The going price, he was told, is $15. In the early evening, a 19-year old youth, who had spent a day on the road hitchhiking with two companions to the fest, left the fair.

"It was weird," Mike, the hunter, said. "I didn't want any part of it. There was nothing to do and I made up my mind to leave We weren't prepared. Hadn't brought a tent or bedrolls. "It wasn't at al! like 1 expected it would be. The hippies invited us to their tent, offered us a stick — but we passed it up. Then one dug in his jeans and came up with a light brown capsule, don't know what it was. We took it and said we would use it later. Waits for Bus Home ' It was a sickening sight," he added, shaking his head. He dozed on the curb as he waited for the midnight bus back to St Paul. -'My folks vail be glad to see me." Why do they come to the People's Fair?

''Man, these are my people and this is living," volunteered Gypsy, who is a seasoned veteran of Rock Fests from California on across the country. "My mother threw me in the garbage can when I was three days old. These people love me and understand me " continued the black, who runs security from the gates to the grounds. '"I use the money I make helping my people." Carrying their earthly good? on their backs, barefoot are dirty, they come to "do the'r thing."' There is one of everything in the world Some bring their dogs, one couple carried their 10-month-old baby on the back. Making the scene was a young girl in a see througn pant suit Workmen labored through the night to complete the bandstand, now encircled by a 8000 foot cyclone fence.

In this compound there will be music by Buffy St. Marie, Johnny Winter, Buddy Rich, Ravi Shankar and Paul Butterfield. Many packed in their own food but there will be barbecued chicken served at all hours through the fest. Roadblocks set up Thursday afternoon have been functioning beautifully — with few spectators entering the area. "We are pleased with the cooperation and there have been no incidents so far." Sheriff Loran Frazier, Waupaca County, advised today In Iola. seven miles away, the peop!e are "up tight," not knowing what to expect. Many have left their homes and gathered on the s i d e w a l k benches to watch the hippies come to town There have been few in the stores.

Source & Full Article: 70-06-26 Appleton, WI.pdf

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