Woodstock 50 Is Most Likely Canceled, So Here’s How to Do It Yourself

Stipulated: the perfect travel time for a three-day weekend getaway is four hours. More, and you waste your vacation. Less, and you’re still near home. Hence our series, The 4-Hour Rule, dedicated to revealing the best destinations that are far away, yet still close to home.

Some things just aren’t meant to be replicated. Woodstock is proof — the 50th anniversary of the heady affair will most likely be canceled after its investors announced they were backing out of the project earlier this week.

So we designed our very own Woodstock, compatible with pretty much any weekend this summer, like so.

EAT
Most people aren’t heading to Woodstock for a five-star wine and dine, but you’re not most people. So do your best to snag a table at Damon Baehrel, the nation’s toughest reservation to lock down. (Here’s how. Good luck.) Barring that, take easy street with Mexi bites from Tinker Taco Lab, American fare from the long-running Bear Cafe and Provisions, suds from Woodstock Brewing and slices and pies from Woodstock Pizza Theater and Catskill Mountain Pizza. For a more immersive evening, grab tickets to the May 17th pre-Sha Na Na farm-to-table dinner at Bethel Woods here.

SLEEP
You’re going to have to ask yourself just how OG Woodstock you want to get here. On one hand, a gent could stick with the creature comforts and book at the quirky boutique Hotel Dylan or the rustic yet elegant Enchanted Manor. But for a more authentic experience, there’s the design genius Willow Treehouse or woodsy Woodstock Way. Or heck, go full shaman and book a night in a teepee or reconnect with your zen at the YO1 Wellness Retreat.

DO
While it might not be the lineup of a (half) century, the iconic Bethel Woods Center for the Arts still has a roster of events to satisfy all cravings, including those of the ‘60s psychedelic variety. Tickets are on sale now for Pat Benetar, whose music and looks defy age, as well as Ringo Starr, Elvis Costello and a hefty Radio Woodstock three-day extravaganza. Beyond the jams, check out Bethel’s Stargazing Sleepover, pop by the Buck Brook alpaca and llama farm (they’re hilarious) or live out your horror-flick fantasy/nightmare with a hike to the abandoned Overlook Mountain House.