"By the first afternoon we were pushed back to the middle of the crowd. I do remember running to the front row to see Lynard Skynard play "Free Bird." I can remember seeing Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Marshall Tucker, and America the last day. I also recall Ted Nugent playing about 4 a.m. and waking up everyone by screaming, "wake up you mother ******!" (and everyone woke up and rocked.) We had a hell of a time finding a place to pee that last day. We finally squatted next to a car and people were walking by. One of us made the comment, 'who cares if they see us, we'll never see them again anyway.' We still say those words to each other to this day. I can remember finding my way to McDonalds. We walked in and strolled through hamburger papers up to our knees.  I am so amazed and happy to find this dedication to a time I remember as one of the very best memories of my youth. Thanks for the memories." Janice Engle

"I don't think I ate - or went to the bathroom for 3 days.  Do you all remember the the flooded shower rooms with •••• ••••• floating around.  Like others have commented - I can't believe my parents let me go.  Maybe I didn't tell them where I was going." - John Auner

"one of my bro's old lady got sunburn and ate bad green acid and laid down to sleep it off.she got kicked in the head by accident , so she passes out about the time my ol lady trips out on real T not pcp mind ya . so i takes em back to the campsite and beds them down for the night . cool , bout the time nugent say's to tha crowd, my ol' lady' s had a kid! i had wondered over to my neighbor's tent where everyone was painting this good-lookin' chic with acrylic paint, and i told em i did real good in art class. so the rest is history...thanks for the kickass memories! gb n ok later. hope we didn't offend anyone." milo von boonie

"We got out on rt.70 and the first one to pick us up was in a vw micro bus and they were going to the concert,they were from jersey.we got there on thursday and the town was pretty much taken over.by the concert -goers.this was the best concert i have ever been to.it was'nt everyday you see all the entertainment like this,i mean the crowd to.i can't remember what i ate or drank in the 5 days we were there.i can remember everyone getting tired of wolfman jack comming out and asking everyone to hold up their joints and beers and finnaly he did one time to many and everyone showered him with beer bottles.we had just as much fun watching the crowd,being from a rural area we never dreamed anything like this.you could buy pot in a tuna can or just watch people inhaling nito-ox and fall on the concrete and get drug over on the grass only to come to and get in line and do it again.we had to stay 2 extra days to help set up the fair rides to have money to get home on.when we were ready to leave we ran across some hippies from our home town and they gave us a ride back to pa.all i got to say the big guy up-stairs was watching after me" - Russ from Lagonda pa.

"We didn't have a tent or any place to camp so we made a sort of perimeter around a small area with items left by other concert goers. (coolers, blankets)  The heat was unbeleivable but it didn't matter because the music was incredible and the people were all in one great big party mood!  
  There were a lot of drugs but the majority of us were just smoking pot, no really heavy drugs.
   When The Eagles started playing, my husband hoisted me on his shoulders and the crowd was so tightly crammed together that i couldn't have fallen off even if I wanted to.   i remember them doing "midnight Flyer" and the crowd going nuts.  150,000 people all singing along!  
    I was SO sunburned across my shoulders that I was blistered, and there was NO shade anywhere, but we we were having the best time of our lives.
     At some point during those three days we walked around town and I remember some of the townsfolk had turned on their hoses and let them run so we could get a drink and hose ourselves down.  I've read where they say the people of Sedalia were angry and frightened but that's not the way we experienced it.  For the most part the residents were very nice and sympathetic to the fact that there was no water or facilities available.
   There was a grocery store (I think it was Piggly Wiggly) that was only letting 2 people in at a time and the line was about a thousand people long so after hours of waiting, the crowd just crashed in and started taking whatever they needed and handing money to a store employee as they left.  I'm sure a lot of people didn't pay for what they took but a lot of us DID!
   Oh, one interesting side note- When we walked back to our car to leave, we discovered that our vehicle, along with about 20 others had been sideswiped by a drunken teenager sometime during those three days.  As it turned out, it was either the sheriff's kid or the Mayor's. The police were there, taking everyone's names and addresses and telling us to get estimates on the damage and send them directly to this lawyer who's card they had given us.  No charges were ever filed and we got a check for the damage about a month later.  Funny, I've never seen anything written about that incident...hmmmm"  - Molly

"I had a ticket (still do) but most people just stormed the fences, knocked them down and proceeded in. It was an incredibly hot weekend. Naked people were everywhere. People swam in the lagoon near the race track to cool off. Drugs were everywhere. The tunnels leading into the racetrack were lined with drug vendors selling anything I had ever heard of. People were passing out and being hauled off. The music was outstanding but conditions were horrid. If you needed to relieve yourself you did so openly in public. There was no other option. Quite an experience!" - terry a dennis

"I saw things I never expected. (such as a naked man chasing a car. I remember hearing the Eagles say "This one is for Nixon ... Already Gone"I remember hearing Earl Scruggs and later Ted Nugent in the same concert. By the time I left I was dazed confused and dehydrated and had to hitchhike all the way back home." - david

"We packed jugs of water and ice into my sisters van. Can't remember any details about how we got there or got in but there were a few things I do remember that I probably will never forget. What I do remember most is all the people, they were everywhere. We parked somewhere just off the fairgrounds. My sister told me to stay with the van till they got the tents set up in front of the stage. I will never forget that. As I said, I was only 13 so seeing nude girls was very few and far between. I was kicked back in the back of the van just laying there when somebody knocked on the side of the van, startled me at first, I sat up and there they were, two young women standing in front of me naked as a j-bird, what ever that means. Asked if they could stash their stuff under the van. I think I stared in disbelief for a few moments and then said sure. What would you say? I finally got the ok to go to the tents in the band area so of I went. Got to see several groups but really don't remember the bands as much as what I seen just walking around. Yes people everywhere and anywhere having sex, smoking dope and I am sure every other drug that was available. People were walking up and down the fairgrounds main drag with grocery carts full of paraphanelia for smoking dope or other drug paraphanelia. I remember this distinctly because I wondered around lot and I came across a guy pushing a basket up and down the fairway selling bongs. He let me walk with him and demonstrate how they worked. I was short for my age and people thought it was so cute watching me toke of a bong. He was selling bongs and I was getting wasted. Probably why I don't remember half of it. My sister had taken like a ton of mini whites or white cross, that is what they called them, I just know they kept me awake. I had baggys full of these things, the baggies had like a hundred each in which they called a 100 lot. I just knew I had a lot! Naked girls were walking aroung with signs marked right on their bodies, "ACID" here. It was like a supermarket for drugs.It was a lot for my 13 year old mind to digest but seeing the drugs, nudity, sex, and just all the people was something else. Until just resently I had read something about the Ozark Mountain Music Festival and so I thought, wow I was there! Iwas a part of history. Maybe not a good thing but it really wasn't a bad thing. Of course I didn't have to clean up or deal with it the way the folks had to that lived there, I mean I can't imagine 150 thousand people just plopping down everywhere making themselves at home. To the folks who lived there and servived I want to thank you. So sorry we left such mayhem but that had to be the coolest thing since Woodstock. I know I had a great time and what an experience. I would never allow my kids to do anything like that but because I did, I know better. I did see some of the dark side, people overdoseing, even seen a guy try and hang himself. Rope was about 4 inches to long. Seen a few scuffles (fights). I would rather end on a happy note, we made it. Nearly 50 and have lots of crazy storys my kids love to hear. Not exactly what most dads would tell their kids about but at least I can tell them what not to do. I did have a great time and will never forget. Thanks again for putting up with us, lets do it again sometime! NOT!" - Anonymous

"Never could have imagined what we were in for..luckly we where prepared for the trip with most of our truck was full of food, water was a diferent story.we had no tickets but figured we would cross that bridge when we got to it. This was a trip for the memories,we smoked a strawberry flavored joint in the McDonalds.,with anyone that wanted a hit.. it was one of them that we rolled that was about six inches long and fat it went almost all around the place and came back to us..passed our camp[we were about a mile from the stage r so it seemed] was motor home with a pa system that was trying and testing all drugs for the good stuff and making announcements as what it was and were you could find it!!!! It cost us a few hits of acid. to get in the show grounds but that was ok it was very plentiful and cheap fresh from berkley ca.Went to one of the pits or quarryes to bath and there was a playboy model there that smashed a guys camera for taking nude photos of her it was really funny..Over all it was a fun time and i am glad i was there.But a lot of people did not have the best of it..On the end where we were that stole corn and other stuff from a corn field that was there.To all that partyed with us if you remember that lime green dodge with the house with shingles on the roof [how could you forget] good fortunes i hope have found you..And last bit not least to the two girles that we hooked up with thank you[ the guy that you first met was big fat jay ].Rock ON !! SOMETHINGS COME ALONG IN LIFE THAT YOU WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER AND THIS WAS MINE!! I may write again later somethings i have forgotten,or maybe not. Good Graces to all..." - ric

"Got  a ride from a trucker,When we got to then exit got a ride from some freaks in the "beast" when it blew up stared walking, bought three hits of micodot from a bread van with  scales on the dash.when we got to town there was one poor cop trying to direct traffic. incredibly hot,no water , no food, lots of drugs.Lines at the grocery store.Great music from what I can remember.Couldn't wait to get home and get and get a bath.If I had to do it all again I would pass but would not take a million dollars for the experience." - Scott Keller

"AS A 16 YR OLD KID I SAW THIGS THAT WER UNREAL AS AN ADAULT" -  MIKE SAMSON

"They were also diving off the cliffs surrounding the quarry.  It was amazing no one drowned that day.  I can remember Wolf Man Jack announcing the first baby being borned there during the Eagles  concert." - Tom Scott

"We all hooked up at sun rise and headed to North 5 hwy. We were hitch hiking to the concert. The very first car that pulled over was a16 year old with a couple of 18 year old's in the car who new us. And did not want to pick us up. we were to young but Eddie the kid that had the car told us to bail in we did and off we were. When we fianlly arrived the first thing we saw was some guy face down in a mud puddle we rolled him over and he was breathing. So while watching the guy choking and getting air . The bands began to play and we were at our cool, wanting a be hippes rock stars The band played the smoke was in the air I knew then as I know now in latter life the 70"s were a great time to be alive. I am work now and I have to get back at it but there is so much I could type about. Even how at only 15 I took it all in and will never forget that great time of my life  Peace on Brothers & Sisster's" - Robert BobCat Wooldridge

"Of course the owner of the van had some purple microdot acid that we purchased for the event. It was incredibly hot the entire time. There was a shortage of food. We lost all of our belongings while we were there and barely escaped with clothes to wear back home. We were literally told to vacate the highway into a cornfield and ended up in what I recall was a little town called Troy. I too rember Wolfman Jack telling everyone that their were people selling bad acid. He said to tell them to try it first. I also remember hearing over the loudspeaker "Bob, come to the womans building, Mary just had your Baby." One of the guys I went with was picked up by one of the OD wagons and taken to the womans building for treatment. I also remeber the first night, after the music stopped. It was unusually quiet considering the amount of people there. (There were many more people than the 160,000 reported.) I still remeber one guy shouting that he was finally getting off. There was a report that 1 man died at the concert. I think he was the guy that was right next to me. He had been complaining and then just stopped and was later taken away by an OD wagon. I also remember the tunnell. Any drug you wanted was in that tunnell. Tables set up and guys with billboards on. There were makeshift showers and quite a few naked people walking around, and yes I also witnessed a few sex acts while there, but everything was no big deal. Just seemed natural. It was really quite the event. From an organizational viewpoint, I am sure it was a total disaster. I mostly remeber being very hot and hungry and really F***** up. Did I mention that I had just turned 16 the month before." - Larry Ross

"They trickled in from everywhere. By the time the concert started it was a happening indeed!" - kevin j. menefee

"I remember great music...extreme heat...my first public display of affection....every drug openly being bought, sold, consumed....and , more great music....much is a blur!!!!  Going to some store to buy water...waiting in lines...man wish I could remember more but what a great experience." - Craig

"When Lynyrd Skynyrd finally came out, the lead singer was kicking broken glass off of the stage with his bare feet while drinking Jack Daniels and telling the crowd that he'd take anyone on back stage who had a problem with them coming out late...In the back ground, over the loud speaker, there were announcements not to take the window pain acid, people were getting sick." - Jim Toto

"I snuck out through a hole in the fence, went to a local market, bought ice, and walked back in with two bags.  I sold them for the cost of my ticket--free concert!  Other memories:  Announcments about not buying the "purple haze" from some booth or other, because "it's bad sh...t, man."  Also, incredible mounds of trash and garbage, which I used to my advantage--made a huge pile and sat on it so I could see the stage better.  Also, showering was a blast.  There were showers there (for the farmers at the fair, I think) that were his and hers with a wall down the middle.  However, the wall got torn down (or people ignored it--I don't remember), and men and women were all showering together (among other things) in groups.  The showers were very popular since it as a) really hot and b) really dirty.  Three crazy days, but some of the most memorable of my life!" - Michael Cook

"When we arrived I was amazed at the number of people and just how hot it was (100 degrees +).  During our 2 day stay I must have been approached by at least a dozen dealers, had some drunk guy puke on the back of my legs, tripped over (by mistake) a dead guy who O.D., fell asleep on an ant nest (non-biting, thank God), pretended I was asleep (too afraid to move) while a couple was having hot sex ten feet from where I was sacked out for the night, listening all night to the PA announcer give public service announcements warning what pills to be on the look-out for,  and watched as Wolfman Jack introduced band after band on that saturday night.  It was way too much fun for a couple of 18 year olds from Minnesota.  The most amazing thing about this event is how nobody knows about it.  People don't believe me when I tell them that Marshall Tucker, Lynyrd Skynryd, Joe Walsh w/ Barn Storm and The Eagles played one after another in one night.  Today, when someone boasts about the  "awsome" concert they saw back in the 70's and 80's I tell them about the Ozark festival by describing it as the closest that any event ever came to Wood Stock (60's version-not that 80's want-to-be event)." - Anonymous

"I remember the heat and people walking around naked. I remember the Mc Donalds that was overtaken about the time we walked in and a grocery store where people walked around and ate food then left. As a business owner I see that part was really not right to do to those folks and I offer my apologies as I was one of them. All and all a great memory of a wonderful time in my life." - Michael Souders / Columbus, Ohio

"Someone tied an huge American flag to a speaker stand so it formed a tent when the bottom was staked to the ground.  I slept under that "tent" one night.  Also a lot of anti-Vietnam was sentiment there from a lot of kids that potentially could have died there.  Great memories of a time no generation will ever see again!" - Joel Spenner

"We were suprised to find snarls of people and cars lining up miles before the entrance to the fairgrounds. Streams of people seemed to be walking outwards as well with many open offers of mescaline, pot and lsd. It seemed strange as the "woodstock vibe" settled around us. The first exchange was made by our driver who had actually walked out ahead during a long stall. He came back and excitedly showed us 100 tabs of  "mesc" that were in a type of clear pennyroll sized plastic container.
These were brown in color and after quite a while discovered to be duds. As we slowly advanced in the traffic he jumped back out and proceded to go about offering the duds to others in order to get the $50 investment back. He managed to sell quite a few one at a time but returned satisfied at having passed on the bogus hits to other hopefuls.  I recall he still had a bunch months later as souvenirs and would tell the tale of his regretted swindling.  We saw a store near the entrance and managed to grab a few items and get back into the line to enter the campsite.Later as the festival was in progress this same store was overrun with looters and ironically many of us waited in line to pay as others casually walked out with anything they could grab as fast as they came in. It was eerie to see the complete disregard of law as many hacked away at this edge of civilization with roaring glee.  It seemed like every other person urged chaos with torrents of hooting peer pressure. It was frightening and yet comical as many obviously "downtrodden" social outcasts united in a spirit of vengeful spite aimed in every direction, cloaked in the anonymity of the cluster. It was so reminiscent of the old horror movie cliche of the milling crowd that suddenly is led by an enraged villager who gives voice to a lack of reason then dissapears to the rear and waves his torch and pitchfork. Please excuse my impression but I felt a sickly insight as to how mob lynching happened in our darkest history.   As we exited the following Monday past this same food store it was boarded up with many signs of extensive damage. This was my first concert/festival exposure but I will note to you that in my perspective I found it to be very cosmic as far the visual bombardment of faces at every turn 24 hours a day, mostly smiling but creased with the scary drunken behavior. By far there was more beer, wine and whiskey etc. than any other concert treats.
 The gauntlet to the stage was a narrow area that was lined on bothe sides at many times with those selling and seeking drugs. It is the first time I had ever seen anyone shooting up and it was almost like an exhibit of human follies. The pity and the sorrow were like a fog in the sunny cheerful afternoon.  We were anxious to see our favorite musicians but had to interact with those who we usually only heard about with their needles of need. It was quite a contrast as many average concertgoers questioned the ques of quaalude quenching extremists. The characters in this area loomed bigger than life with giant grins or sour expressions that could have illustrated Dantes Inferno. It was hot enough to
reason this may be an introduction to Hell itself. If you questioned your sanity at anytime you needed not look too far to find a face that  was worse off or farther drunk, stoned or blissed. The people in the crowd were the main event and the stage offered only brief departures from the fact that we were a part of this mass of babbling humanity, searching for territory and acceptance. I will address the stage activity at length later.

The numbers quickly grew to outrageous and unbelievable proportion. The revelations came one after another with the exposure to so many partiers. For one, I have a last name beginning with a Y, so I have always sat at the back of a classroom and became used to seeing the backs of people's heads. In this case, that simple perspective became profound significance with literally thousands of swaying heads as far as peripheral vision could percieve.Backs of heads, that is... unless you had made way into the middle and front of the swarm. Many times my dormant proximity sense radiated wildly as I looked behind me to find vacant eyes glaring at me as if watching a television.  I tested this phenomenon over and over with similar results. Fixing my gaze on a singular individual of interest 20 to 30 yards away and further, and nearly every time the person would eventually wheel around to look back directly into eye contact with me. There was so much psychic transmission of all types, Millions of eyes were locking and unlocking in constant instant appraisals of  hair, clothes, tattoos and appearance. Every direction was activity and motion flowing like grass in the wind.  You could easily observe a joint or a bottle of wine slowly passing through the crowd  like a comet  with a warm glowing tail.  They seemed to appear and then fade like fireflies. We mostly stuck together as we made our way around the scene, pointing out individual scenarios to each other. Our driver was mostly a loner, headband, pony tail and stripped to the waist. He was outfitted with pouches on his belt that held his party favors, trade items and tools...as if he may need to survive his dive into the sea of people.  He returned to a certain area the second afternoon where we sat on our blanket.  He agreed to head to the restrooms with me at one point where we waited nearly an hour as the line into the official fairground toilets got longer and longer. We had arrived just in time. Once we finally got close to the entry I found out why it was taking so long. There were girls wer and stripped lathering up the people as they stood under the shower heads inside.
The sexuality was bursting at the seams as we entered and I eked my way to a urinal. The girl near me was very beautiful and smiling very innocently as she relaxed and satisfied the anxious
men with a laugh. It was the rise of nymphs from classic history.  My shyness held fast as I quickly exited after urinating at least a quart.I had notion to join in but was swept away by the pressure to exit." - Anonymous

"Took three rides to get from Winona (s.c. Mo.) to Sedalia at the gates of the fairgrounds.  I wasn't an innocent by any means, but I surely wasn't after !!  The whole affair is a little   (okay, a lot ) cloudy.  If you remember [all] the OMF, you weren't there.  It has been a long time with a lot since then, but I remember all the drugs, it was an open air bazaar, with anything and everything you had heard of, and some you hadn't.  The nudity fast became a fact, after the first 25 or 50, no biggie.  The music was unreal. All of the bands I came to see were there and several I didn't expect.  I remember that Joe Walsh sat in with the Eagles, and I thought they should get together.  I believe Hotel California was the next album with Walsh on the lead guitar.  My oldest brother had gone to Woodstock, before being drafted and going to 'Nam.  I thought it would be like he described, but it wasn't.  Different eras, other people, I guess, but different.  I have looked at pics from then and don't remember all the trash, but then I really wasn't concerned with trash.  I thought about the Festival several years ago, and couldn't find much on it.  I would really like to know who has a list of the bands that were actually there.  Plus, what happened to the pro videos that have to exist?  These were the best of times and the worst of times, but I would hate to forget it." - Dean Shemwell 

"we never even used the tickets to get in,wish i still had mine.we got there early fri. morn.checked in to the room and mom had no idea what we were in store for.she was real cool with our culture,but when she drove us around the fairgrounds she freaked out.none of us expected the things we saw just driving around,nudity drugs and thousands of people.she said no way are you kids going to this.we were able to talk her into letting us go.she droped us off and went back to the hotel and barred the door.we enjoyed the event untill sat.morn.we went back to the hotel to find her in a panic state.she told us that the hippies took over the pool and the hotel owner tried to make them leave but the police took away the hotel owner and left the hippies alone.i gave her some valium i had purchased and calmed her down.we returned to the fairgrounds and had the time of our life.by then the croud had increased and it was clear that there was no police control.we were free for the first time in our lives.we also knew that this type of event would never take place again.we saw no violence just peace love and dope.young people expressing themselves in every way possible.it was a life changing event for us.none of us are dope additcs or scarred in any way because of our experence.we are still productive peacefull people lucky to have experienced the event.i still go to festivals none matching the experience i had at OMF.but i did experience the the same feeling of freedom and total peace at a festival in arkansaw this summer. it was like stepping into a time machine going back 30 yrs.the kids were just looking for a way to escape this messed up world we live in.living free and loving every one they met.no violence,no police,no hassles.good music and good people will live on forever."  - Ben

"We had to park about 6 blocks away in front of someones house, then schlepped the tent and our supplies into the fairgrounds.  My friend and I stayed in my tent camped just outside the band area.  We were right behind the bands and could hear all the music if we were too loaded or tired to go into the racetrack.  Things I remember was one young man completely nude except for his headband carrying a waterjug yelling 'mushrooms for sale' he was skipping up and down the drive way.  I also remember my friend coming into the tent all freakd out because they had just announced 'don't take the green acid' and she had just dropped the green acid.  oh my it all worked out ok.  I also saw people being carried out of the racetrack area in the golf carts with medics doing cpr on them and the very cart that was carrying this od'd man out bounced one of it's tires off a kids head who was laying down.   I had a great time and survived with some strange and wonderful memories.  to the lady who wrote the long ******** thing about her husband getting beat up by the biker.   I paid my money to get in the gate and no biker beat me up.  so you gets what you pay for." anonymous

"So I had to go to my good freind joe who had a car and asked if he wants to go,but he said no,so I was getting ready to walk down to the interstate and start hitch-hikeing,ALL of the sudden here comes BIG JOE! my good freind in his station wagon honking and yelling out his window jump in: **** IT! I"m going,so I jumped in and we had $50.00 between us both,20 white crosses,and some beer,and a little food,off we went,it was great I"ll never forget it ever,I never seen that many people in my life and never will again. Only one thing,it was HOT was"nt it?" -  12packcaper

"I hadn't heard about the event, and it wasn't my idea.  As a college hippie type at the time, it was something that was right up my alley, though!    Some of the things I recall:
 
--  We had no tickets, and preferred not to buy any!  So, we quickly found a section of chain link fence that had been ripped open, and quite easily entered the Fairgrounds without paying.  I seem to recall stage announcements  made at some point indicating that it was "a free concert, man"...something akin to the Woodstock experience.
 
--  All I have read about the massive supplies of drugs rings true.  Stationary vendor stands could be found, and also a plethora of individuals who roamed the grounds selling on the move.  One memory I have is of a guy with case-of-beer cardboard box suspended from his neck, wandering around announcing which drugs he was marketing.  He was like the grubby and perhaps evil twin of a cigarette girl in those old movie night club scenes.  I recall every conceivable drug being sold, but what sticks out in my memory is the "opium" being sold just about everywhere.....tar-like, sticky stuff, for smoking.
 
--  Nudity was everywhere, particularly topless women...or, that's what sticks in my mind!  At some point, I ventured into the town of Sedalia, and visited a fast food place....a McDonald's, perhaps.  There were nude and semi-nude people in line, and being served there!
 
--   I do recall seeing spectator sex on display.  In particular, one evening, I had pushed up front to watch the performance of Ted Nugent and his band.  Weren't they called the Hot Nuts, then?  During their show, a couple was doing it on the ground, right in front of the stage.  A group of audience members surrounded them, and cheered them on.  It seems to me that the antics were noted from the stage by Nugent, too.
 
--  I vivid recall the many stage appearances and announcements by Wolfman Jack.  I think it fair to say that he was never "cool" with hard rock, hippie culture.  As a result, he was very often booed and generally treated with derision by many in the audience.

--  I have clearest memories of there performers:   Nugent, Lynard Skynard, Joe Walsh and the Eagles.  And, yes, I recall both Walsh, and the Eagles, making reference to Pres. Nixon who, as it turned out, would resign about a month after the festival.  During "Rocky Mountain Way", Walsh DID sing, "Bases are loaded, and Nixon's at bat....time to change the batter!"  It brought the house down!
 
--  An odd fact that I remember quite clearly is this:  during one of the evenings, an announcement was made (perhaps by the Wolfman) that a "special guest" was about to take the stage.  This GRABBED all of our attention, as you might guess.  And...the throng's usual cacophony lowered to nearly a whisper!  "Who could it be....", we were asking for those moments..."Dylan...the Beatles reunion...or, one of the Fab Four??"  
 
Then the announcer introduced Jim Ryun, the athlete and runner who had smashed the "mile run" record in the mid-1960s.  He walked out on stage, and said something like, "I happened to be in the area and came by to see what an event such as this looks like....thanks!"   He just as quickly exited the stage leaving the crowd in stunned silence, followed by bewildered and polite gentle applause!
 
It is interesting to note that Ryun is now a Republican US Congressman, representing a Kansas district.  He is 62 now, and was elected to Congress in 1996.  It would surely be a HOOT if someone could get from HIM his memories of that day!" - Daryl

"i was with a group of people that was camped out near a guy that, had a Winnebago, he would try all the drugs than make an announcement over a load speaker,  that was mounted on his roof, as to if they were good or not and tell you not to take the bad acid that was going around, We also commandeered one of the Harley Davidson security  Golf Karts   and removed the governor so it would out run the other security guys, Now that was funny also. we were cruising  all over the joint havin a ball while being chased by security, with slower gulf karts. we even provided a free camp site taxi to help people go from one place to another.
 there was a shower near by and it was girls and guys all together in the same showers, the innocence poured from our hearts with no guilt and no regrets , 3 days to have an experience that may never happen again in all of mans time on this planet. i still hear about that festival  from my friends to this day, they ask about it if they weren't there, and the laugh about it if they were,
 It was one of my inspirations to continue to play music, as i am a Blues Player of About 30 years now and Have a New released CD and am touring, But it will never be like that again 3 days of freedom,  peace, fun, And Music. All i can say is you had to be there to really feel what it was about.  Love and music to all," Al Stone

"On the final night of the festival, my husband had already gone to bed and my neice and I was sitting on the porch swing.  My elderly neighbor had just gotten off the night shift at 11:00 p.m. at Bothwell Hospital.  She came home in a taxi and when she got out of the car, she went hurrying toward the house.  She said to me, "They are burning the grandstands down." My neice and I went to the corner and looked over toward the fairgrounds and saw a glow in the sky.  (It was the lights from the fairgrounds not fire).  I went into the house and told my husband about it.  He got up and put his blue jean cutoffs on, no shirt or shoes and ran out the door to assist them at the fairgrounds.  He forgot his billfold.  He always was upset with me cause I drove my car on Empty.  He jumped into my car and headed toward the fairgrounds to assist in whatever way he could.  He got about three blocks from the fairgrounds and ran out of gas.  No shoes, no shirt, no ID, no money.  He walked to a gas station and they refused to help him thinking he was part of the festival.  When he did get help, he found out there was nothing going on at the fairgrounds.  Needless to say, he was pretty upset when he did arrive home." - Laura

"I  was in heaven it was so much more than the music.It was the time nixon had to step down in shame. Everything the anti war movement said was true about the establishment. We had a lot to celebrate that summer.We were  all tripping when we got there. This festival was our woodstock.I know there had to be over 500.000 young people there. I remember the lsd stands and other tables  for psychedelic's.  It was like an open market head shop. Pipes papers etc. And the many other  tables for revolutionary groups.The music was great all the main bands were there at the time. A lot of orgies too.It really was group sex. Anything goes staight bi or gay. We had each other we were all brothers and sisters. We were all one together. I will never forget that feeling of total freedom. I am so glad i found this site since all the talking about woodstocks 40 birthday. I am glad people remember this great festival for 3 days we took over that town. Free love, brotherhood, it was 3 days of peace and music.   Our woodstock." - Sammy

"Hi, I wrote  the story from hippies1968. I just also wanted to  say to any young people who read it. I was not condoning the use of any illegal drugs. That was 35 years ago i was 18. It really was a different time." Drugs kill". I  lost A few  friends because of drugs. At that time in history from 1967 the summer of love to 1974 there was a counter culture a generation gap.Everything was for us the music ,art, clothes,books, films, etc. It was a great time to be young.And psychedelic's were a part of it. So Please don"t get the wrong message in my story about the drug use then. It was 1974 and that  really was the end of an era.  the ozark music festival was really the last great 3 day festival. I will never forget the festival or that time of youth." - Thanks Sammy

"About 30 to 50 miles from Sedalia we were coming through a little town very small. It was like 3:00 in the morn. A big 1971 chevy impala pulled out in front of me (I was driving at the time) and stopped in the middle of the street, so I stopped and was going "What in the heck is going on here." When all of a sudden the tail lights changed to reverse lights and the tires started smoking and then the chevy flew the 30 or so feet and hit this little mazda car that looked like a mini corvette. The rear bumper came right at the windshield and actually broke through the glass, then those rear tires caught on the front end of our car and then I saw a tire and axle coming through the front windshield. The tire came through the windshield and broke off the steering wheel in my hands, then stopped about 5 inches from my face. Then the weight of the car on the roof crushed the roof down, but not before I got my door open and jumped out. I ran over to the chevy and pulled open the door and yelled "what the hell are you doing." This young 15 or 16 year old girl jumped out and gave me this frightened look and ran of in to the bushes by the roadside and railroad tracks. In her car were 3 or 4 empty Boones Farm wine bottles, I guess she had broken up with her boyfriend that night. My friend whose car I was driving had woken up during the accident (yeah duh) had gotten out of the car and looked at it and then asked me "How fast where you going Critter" (My nickname) I tried to explain to him what had happened, but his girl friend was still trying to get out of the wrecked car and it took a while to explain to him how his car got toteled. Then the local police showed up and tried to blame us for the accident, thank god the state troopers showed up. It helped that there were about 6 other cars behind us going to the fest that gave statements. Then that girls father showed up and apoligized and gave us a ride to the festival. After a great nights sleep on the grass, we had a blast listening to music and walking through the tunnel and seeing all the drugs and stuff for sale. It rocked!" - Dave Reiter (Critter)

"We saw a bunch of people tearing out a fence and people streamming in free.  Also that first night we saw bikers butchering a cow, what a trip that was. Anyway we never had tickets either. That 1st night I got trashed and lost nearly everything I had taken except the clothes I was wearing and my money. We spent next next 3 days stoned and watching some great R&R. A guy from E. Peoria ILL had a tent set up right outside the track by the entrance to the concert site. Over that 3 days I probably seen 50  peopleI knew from our area. I was stunned to see all the naked people. There were drugs everywhere and great bands. I tell people stories about some of the things I saw that weekend and many don't believe them, but for those of us that got to go we know what went down, It was the time of our lives. One friend nicnamed Brillo  (dead now I think) O.D. on Friday morning and some guys wearing t-shirts that said security on their back helped us take him to a makeshift hospital. They fired him up with some kind of downs and we took him back to the tent where he slept for 2 days, he missed the show. We went into town Sat. morning and went to a McDonalds. The windows were all broken out and people were firing up drugs in the booth and yes they were selling bugers.  We went in a liquer store that all shelves were empty and the guy was trying to get everybody out of his store.There was also a gravel pit outside of town with about 1000 naked people swimming there. Cars going from the concerts site to town & back would have 5 to 15 people sitting on the tops trunks and hoods catching a ride. I think Wolfman Jack introduced Lynard Sknyard on Sat. night and if I remember right people were throwing stuff onto the stage because Skynard was late. Needless to bay I never saw the concert on Sat night Special. What a shame that night after Skynard was REO Speedwagon then Ted Nugent, that night rocked. For a 18 year old kid the best part of the whole weekend was all those beautiful toppless ladies, I wish i had a camera." - Randy Hoskinson

"CROWED, HOT BUT  THE BEST PLACE TO BE IN AMERICA THAT WEEKEND..OUR WOOSTOCK.. !!!!I  I STILL TELL PEOPLE ABOUT THE GREAT SHOW  AND THE FUN I HAD.. IF YOU MISSED IT.. YOU MISSED OUT.. PEACE-LIVE-MUSIC..HIPPIEARTIST69.." - HAROLD R. WILSON

"Four of us were attending Summer School, D, L, W, and myself, G, at Miss State Univ, Starkville, MS.  Do not have permission to submit their names.  Did not even inform my parents that we were going as you can imagine just how foolish that was if one of us had disappeared.  Thank God, we all returned safely.   Violence, No, I saw none, and I do not remember one harsh word spoke being spoken.  Nudity, Sex, Drugs, Yes, they were all there but Do Not remember any violence.

Consequently, we left Starkville Thu night before the Fest and drove all night as we rotated driving and sleeping as arriving Fri morning in Sedalia to the long massive line of cars.  We were in a Pinto, yes Ford Pinto, and managed to reach other side of highway frontage road and made it in.  Boy, were we unprepared!  All we had was one huge piece of Viscuine that we could sleep under and some blankets for comfort.  Thank God it didn‚t rain.  However, I did bring a huge pocket knife for the time and it came in handy.

Music, Ah yes it was fabulous.  W, my jamming buddy now for 35 years, continue to frequently reminisce and yes, we still jam.  Where to begin about the bands we saw is hard to explain.  We left Sat night when the music ended and consequently, am no help for the Sun music.  Yes, I do remember the Eagles, Joe Walsh, Lynerd Skynerd, Elvin Bishop, Jimmy Spheeris, REO Speedwagon, and I could be mistaken but I thought an unknown band Foreigner played, but maybe not.  I do remember that some European Bands played that no one really seemed to be familiar with at all.

We were sleeping under the Viscuine Fri night not too far from the Stage and woke up to a group Sat morning that was circled around us wondering, I guess, if we were alive.  We instantly made friends with a group from Pittsburg, KS, and I hope one of them reads this and can maybe email me and I would respond.  It was strange as the heat instantly cranked up Sat morning and both of our groups pitched in (I used the aforementioned pocket knife to cut the stakes) to set up one of the tents/shelters that are so visible in many of the photos.  Thank God, as that covering gave us some relief from the heat and really salvaged the festival.

I could go on forever about the festival itself such as the scarcity of beer and water, but will limit my contribution and thank God that all of our group returned safely.  However, concerning the crowd, it seemed more like 200,000 or more as by Sat night the fest was a sea of humanity.  One last take care and god bless to all that attended the Ozark Music Fest.  The rock festival will forever be imbedded in my mind being one of the 70‚s generation that has so far survived remaining alive and well. Always," - G for D,L,&W

"I also remember the grocery stores closing and only letting 2 people in at a time because of looting. We paid 10.00 for a bag of ice. It was really hot and muddy. I slept in my VW bug." - Anonymous

"There were stories that early arrivals had butchered & barbecued the mayor's prize bull?

Went to a fast food place to find food & drink with our last bit of change (I think it was McD's) and found people breaking up kilos on the tables for sale... announcements about the bad acid, people selling tuna cans vacuum-packed with Mexican pot, incredible heat & humidity.
We found a livestock washing place where we washed & drank, then stole feed corn from a field to eat (we were broke & starving & it was the best thing I ever tasted).

Shade was hard to find, & a lot of people hoarded their food & drink... not good for unprepared kids.  Many were generous with their drugs, though, & helped medicate us all so the hunger & thirst wasn't so bad.

The music was Great... what I can remember of it! America, Eagles in their prime (pre-Joe Walsh)...but it was difficult to maneuver & find the stages at times.  One memory toward the end was a dozen or so people sitting around a large hookah... and everyone that passed them threw whatever drugs they had into the bowl.  Strange Brew.
Sad that so many were just out to make a buck & the mellow hippie atmosphere was dying, things were more about how messed up you could get, and if you had anything marketable, who would pay the most...the start of the "me-generation"." - Kelly

"The music was fantastic.   The outdoor showers were a thing of simplistic beauty, if you're a farm animal.  I vividly remember naked frisbee with some cowgirl from Texas.  It was difficult catching that disc. But, she could have been a mirage.  Not!  Also, running out of ice, toilet paper, food and money in that order.  
It was the most uncomfortable 3 days of my life,  but wasn't it great.   Also, running into old friends from Iowa.
 I also remember vendors getting vandalized and the overdoses and medics .frantically running around  to help.  
We left before it was over very early in the morning and drove about 2 hours before pulling over to doze.  We cracked the windows  to let in the night air,  but not enough.  The brutal sun came up early. The inside of my cutlass was like a convection oven.  Somehow we woke up in time.  We both could easily have died from the heat stroke.
 Glad I experienced it.   Glad it was a long time ago.  Glad I grew out of it........except for the great music." - Larry

"But I want to say thanks to all the people that help out like turning on you lawn sprinklers giveing Ice out  handing out food  It's just to bad that some had to ruin it for the rest but you have that at every event someone going to be an ***." - Ron

"4 days of sex, drugs and rock n roll, grueling heat, few facilities. Lucky I had gotten a case of Lone Star Beer into my pack on the way to the festival and traded it for everything I needed. I hung out with some of the bikers for a while until things got a bit weird (tripping) and made my way to the center area in front of the stage and stayed there.  I set up my pup tent to help with the heat at night. I'm glad I brought my camera, as I got some great photos of the happenings. The areas were set up like little streets complete with sign posts like High Street and Bummer Lane. I remember seeing someone with a dog pulling a little red wagon filled full of bags of pot with a sign that said LIDS $15.
Great music and a very large stage. On the way home there were more hichhikers than cars, but I was able to get a ride all the way back to Atlanta in 18 hours.  What memories. Just completed my photo archive of the festival 35 years later." - Joe Priser

"My good buddy Mike even paid for mine, since the concert roughly coincided with my 20th birthday on July 17th. About a week or so later, we received our admittance passes--three green surgical wristbands that said 'Ozark Music Festival' .We set out for Sedalia from Florissant , Mo.,  early on the first day, in Mike's brand new '74 Ford Pinto, which had no a/c (of course), and the passenger side window fell off track down inside the door during the trip there.      
After dealing with the massive traffic jams just getting onto the fair grounds, we were fortunate enough to find a camping area that I believe was just slightly southwest of the grounds, in a field. Looking around at  the various license plates from across the country-New York, Pennsylvania, California, and of course all the neighboring states, I remember thinking how this was going to be an unforgettable experience for all of us.
As others have said, the tunnel underneath the roadway turned out  to be a cooler place for enterprising drug dealers to peddle their wares. It was a bit unnerving---we hustled through there pretty quickly.
We kept a pretty low profile on Friday night, and determined early on that we would keep from getting separated.  We checked out the grounds, venturing down to the track area, sat in the bleachers for a while, and listened to some of the music.
Next day, we got out in the morning and checked things out more thoroughly--saw the holes torn in the cyclone fencing, people selling six-packs of beer for about $5 or more, open hawking of all manner of illegal substances without fear of arrest, and lots of public nudity-LOTS!
  It was intolerably hot, close to 100 degrees.  Even the rare breezes that blew were just hot air being pushed across the flat ground. We stopped into an air-conditioned fairgrounds buliding, where fountain sodas were being sold at about $2.00, all  three of us bought one, then sat down and fired up a couple. The vendors didn't bat an eye.
 Saturday night, we went down to the track area to listen to more music-Ted Nugent, R.E.O. Speedwagon, and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Before Skynyrd started, we thought we'd get a bit closer to the stage and we wove our way through the crowd seated on anything from blankets, to sheets, to tarps, down toward the front. I remember the band had the 'Stars and Bars' flag proudly flying, and they were at their best. After about thirty minutes of standing in one spot, we moved carefully back to the bleachers. It was hard just to keep from stepping on people who were definitely there for the duration.
After returning to camp, late that night some guy STUMBLED his way through where we were, nearly fell in the fire, and mumbled "Got any Reds?" We assured him that we weren't really into those at all, and he staggered off, nearly falling with every step he took.          
Next day, we went for one more trip down the midway, observed some openly nude showering down by the stock barns, spent a short time down at the bleachers listening to some relaxed,  late concert music, and then after 1 or 2 P.M., headed back to St.Louis.
It was an event unlike anything I had ever experienced before or since,and I'm really glad that I was able to make it a part of  my life.  Thank you for creating this site!!" - Brad Long

"Not only were the motorcycle gangs in control of the fairgrounds, in all probability they were hired by the promoters of the festival (Robert Shaw and his Musical Productions, Inc.) to push drugs, sex and violence.  The city police and local sheriff managed to stay off scene, claiming they had 'no jurisdiction,' and thus allowing all kinds of criminal behavior to occur.  

We moved to Sedalia on Monday, July 15, 1974, and we lived one block from the state fairgrounds.  I had heard about the festival before we left our home in Springfield, even purchasing two tickets because I was excited at the prospect of hearing one of my favorite bands, America.  I did go to the concert on Friday afternoon, July 19,  and I was so appalled at the animalistic scenes in every direction I looked, that I did not stay long.  I did photograph some classic views of the stage, as well as behavior by people, that was, well, simply unbelievable.

After working that Friday evening, my husband went to the festival with a friend to see what all the commotion was about.   By then, the fencing was down all around the fairgrounds.   As they went through the fence, ****** *. ********, **., a Detroit ******** gang member, confronted them with demands for a $3.00 entrance fee.  After all, they did come through "HIS hole." My husband declined to pay the $3.00 and so ******** crashed his prosthetic arm and rusty hook-hand into the face of my 6'2" husband, knocking him down and out.  As posted earlier on this board, this one act required life saving measures, and a 4 hour surgical facial reconstruction for my husband. (Thank God for the Ear, Nose and Throat surgeon on call at Bothwell Hospital)

When I called on Saturday to plead with the local police and sheriff to go into the fairgrounds and arrest this criminal, the sheriff rudely replied, "Well ma'am, your husband got what was coming to him."   I was incensed!  There was absolutely no police protection or legal help to be found in all of Sedalia.  I spent the next two days calling police, fairground security, law enforcement, and lawyers.  Literally, no one would help me.  I wanted this man taken into custody and prosecuted.  Instead, they all warned me to "Look out, ******** might come after YOU."  Or, "We can't do anything, or the ********* gang might burn down Sedalia's courthouse."  I called the radio and TV stations, who at least started broadcasting details about the assault.

On Sunday July 21, a Highway Patrol Sergeant told me that he had learned that the sheriff just wanted ******** out of his county.  This Highway Patrolman was the lone law agent to offer me his assistance and to enforce the law.   Late Sunday night, the sheriff DID take ******** into custody, however it was protective custody.  He drove ******** right across the Pettis county line, so I would not be able to prosecute him.  Fortunately, the Highway Patrolman tailed the sheriff, and as soon as the sheriff released ********, the Sergeant arrested him.  ******** was taken BACK into Pettis county by the Highway Patrol, and put into the jail.  

Shortly thereafter, the local prosecutor did everything he could NOT to pursue the prosecution of ********.  He dreamt up excuses, and he used threats.  Because my husband, whose eyes were swollen shut, was STILL able to identify ******** in a line up, the prosecutor finally HAD to do his job.  However, he refused to gather evidence.  He told ME to take pictures of  my husband's injuries, and to go to the site of the assault to photograph the area and the fence, still both covered in blood.  So I did.  In the end, ******** got a change of venue, fled the country, and avoided justice.

One astonishing thing is that many of my pictures 'disappeared.'  I took 3 rolls of film into the local K MART to be developed.   When they came back, arriving weeks late, not ONE of them was of my 'evidence.'  And, other pictures I had taken of various and sundry behavior were also removed.  Yes, all my evidence had been confiscated.  

Here on the Ozark Music Festival site at the Katy Depot, it seems as if you are relishing the festival 35 years later.  Do you realize that almost all of the photographic evidence of those four days has been destroyed?  (except for private photographers who had their own dark rooms)  You now are going to put a book together about the Festival and issue it up for sale?  If I accept the fact that 35 years later there is going to be profit made from all these memories, I must ask, will you at least include some of the real truth of this event?

Finally, are there others who will come here to read about the festival  who know of terrorist acts committed by  ****** *. ********, **., and the Detroit *********? I have heard numerous stories of the people he assaulted at this festival. What happened to his other victims?  And is there anyone besides myself who had pictures removed or confiscated?

Interesting and ironic,  that a town so ready to sweep this event under the rug, is now honoring it with an exhibition and more!" - Anonymous

• Please note - the submission above was altered to protect the privacy of the individuals involved.

"We rode in the ditch and on the side of the road while people in cars sat in line or started walking.  We were lucky to have packed food, camp stove, water and most of what we needed while in town.  It was hot, hot, hot and the music was good to I think." - Anonymous

"Around the main stage there was pandomonium. My wife, who coincidently also attended the concert, was told that people were collapsing at the crowded stage area due to dehydration, but I saw none of that.

Saw lots of drugs and free love, however.

I recall seeing America, WolfMan Jack and The Eagles. Don't remember much else as I was in a fog, so to speak.

I hitched safely all the way home to Chicago and was in a bad car accident one block from my house!" - rich

"i climbed the fence . i remember the dust devil that stopped the show. i think cactus was playing it was beautiful .i miss it" - andy shay

"My friend Larry and I bought tickets and left Peoria, IL in a hot looking ''66 Ford with flames painted on the sides, bound for Missouri.  We left early, to visit Larry's relatives in Richland Mo. before heading to Sedalia.  We got to the fairgrounds earlier than most, hanging out, watching all the people arrive and starting a weekend  that still stands out as one of  the most memorable  in my life.  We took one bag of weed with us, found another bag on the ground the second day, and bought another sometime during that weekend.  The weekend was a blur for the most part. Some things stand out in my muddled mind, like the Winnebago that had tables set up, cutting up weed and bagging it for sale.  The bag we found was in this general vicinity and we picked it up and just kept walking.  Another thing is the tunnel that we walked thru to get to the music, and how it was a flea market of drugs for sale, vendors shouting out their wares, "chocolate mescaline here", or  " get your LSD".  It was crazy, and somewhat surreal.  Seeing the Eagles on stage was the most surreal moment,  dark night, smoky haze, Im just standing there, taking it all in, and a naked chick taps me on the shoulder, asking for a light.  The people watching was the best.  They had come from all over, in various stages of dress.  The tent cities, with signs announcing where they were from.  The motorcycles riding on a basement like raised roof and the crowd cheering them on to do stunts.  The music, the ones i actually remember,  The Eagles, Ted Nugent and Joe Walsh and the battle of the guitars, Aerosmith.  I have forever kicked myself for not taking a camera.  I, myself, didnt witness any violence, but Im sure it was there.  I remember a lot of nudity, drug use everywhere, but for the heat, it was a great time.  I saw capitalism at its best when a truck pulled in and sold ice for 5$  a bag.  I saw a town taken over by the visitors, we walked to the A&P store to buy food, and they were only letting in 7 people at a time, and locking the doors behing them and when one came out, they would let another in.  I waited in a long line at a gas station to use a hydrant around back to wash our hair and cool off.  It was and incredible experience and one i will never forget.  I have never regretted buying that ticket." - Joel B.

"My-x, my sister and her x, and our cousin from Fredericksburg, TX all joined up in Little Rock, AR to journey to this ill touted Rock Festival. I remember so many calamities, some that stand out in my mind are the carnage the facility experienced. The fence torn down, camping areas flooded by thoughtless individuals who decided to turn on these huge fire hydrant pipes in hopes of getting a cold quick shower? All of our tents, and gear were immediately under water. Bathrooms facility were taken over by droves of campers, so that men and women were bathing in the open, using the toilets and whatever? Topless women abounded, and it got to the point where if you did need to pee, women circled around you and you just squatted where-ever? I recall one time trying to go down front and see the band more closely, and I was literally being carried above the ground by the momentum of the crowd moving. It was so scary. We left before day three. When we left, there was no ice to be had, and mind you a three day campout in a rock concert, food stored in ice chest was gone if you did not have ice. Oh did I mention the horrible heat wave?  Also a first for me, was seeing all the stuff being sold right out in the open. Those little ticket booths that are used at the fair, were housed by local dealers selling their wares. It was unbelievable.

I am glad we went, but I was also disappointed in how many big name bands did not show. We had spent a lot of money to go on this mini-vacation/trip, and most of my memories are those that I mentioned above" - Anonymous

"While there, they said go with us to Sedalia...so we went in the back of Dick's pickup.  Me (Gordon), Debbie, Steve and Dick.  I remember riding in the dark all night to get there and getting stuck on the interstate while it was still dark.  Layed on top of the pickup and waited, and waited, and waited. Finally got into the city and then waited on the street even longer.  No bathrooms, no food, not nothing.
From that point to getting into the gate was a blur, but I do remember how hot it was.  Sat under a tarp we put next to the truck and listened to the music under the tarp.  Only a couple of times walked to the grandstands.  Our campsite was close behind the grandstands.  Got so hot that we had to take some salt tablets along with the other tabs we took.  Some people walking around nude.  Others take baths at the stalls where they watered animals for the state fair.  I had a new 35mm camera an took a lot of slides.  Haven't looked that them for a while, but I guess I should get them out and dust them off.  Maybe turn them into jpg.  Steve and Debbie were breaking up at the time we went.  What a bummer.  Dick was also glad to just be where he was.  All I wanted to do was listen to music and watch people.  Looking back it was the best of times.  Not nearly a Woodstock but what can you expect in the midwest.  Peace." - Gordon James

"Iwould like to say hello to all my friends and remember all those friends that didnt make it out of the 70 s. Ozark mt. music has inspired my life" - Paul Wilkerson

"My biggest memories are of the cars parked on the road bumber to bumber maybe moving an inch every few hours.

People were just roaming around partying, selling and trading one thing for another and oh yes the beautiful girls!

Inside we pretty good luck where we set up camp.

We got adopted by these two big older hippies and they watched out for us and told us stories about their experience at Woodstock a few years earlier.

If you remember grandpa from the Dukes of Hazzard then set your mind on this. There was grandpa with the long white beard, coveralls only and in each arm a drop dead beautiful naked girl (each was for sale for a price).

The only thing we were stupid about was we didn't bring cameras.

We somehow had the luck to land a "free" job watching the gates at the botanical garden area there.
They said if we kept peolple from cutting through, we could sit at the gates in the shade and with the spriklers going. It amde a hot time a little more bearable. We could still hear the bands from there during the day and then would trip up to the main stage area at night.

One of the guys we went with has never been heard from again since we had returned. We think he really must have blown his mind or left it in Sedalia!" - Patrick H., Ferguson, MO

"Four of us jammed into a '64 Impala with a gutted back seat which we filled with all the beer we could carry and sleeping bags. We parked at a grocery store where if we got split up would meet at the end of the last act (America) on Sunday.

Four hours into Friday, I caught glimpse of the last person I came their with. It didn't matter. I slept on my sleeping bag both nights and shared Saturday night with a nympho hippie goddess who blessed me with sex, hash and herpes.

On Sunday the heat got to me and I trade my sleeping bag for shade and water with a biker. The biker was a Hells Angel who made sure I had anything I wanted. The Angel's let me in their corner for the rest of the festival which by far had the best of everything.

Oh yeah and the music. It was phenomenal. Aerosmith and Bruce Springsteen  were on their first major tours. Lynard Skynard was in full tilt before any plane crash. Eagles and America. All this for free. No hassles was the motto and outside of the heat it definitely lived up to the advertising. As for leaving the concert my GI buddies had either given up or had forgotten me. I rode on the back of a pickup with total strangers for several miles west on I-70. Eventually hitch-hiking my way to Fort Riley and the safety of the barracks.

I paid dearly for my military transgression of not performing guard duty as scheduled. Loss of rank along with a fine (article 15). Was it worth it?  Hell ya!" - Don Klebs, Wisconsin

"It is a heartfelt memory for me that is hard to adequately describe.  So many things I had forgotten until your stories brought it back to me.  Those were the days.  i wish I still fit into that little denim bikini.  Thanks for helping me re-live a memory." - Donna

"Earlier during that week of the festival six of us were driven to Kansas City by one of our friend's father to the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young concert and the 20-something girl next to me struck up a conversation. When I told her I was from Sedalia, she looked at me oddly and said "what are you doing here when the real action is in Sedalia"?  As we drove back to Sedalia late that night we ran into a traffic jam on Highway 65 entering Sedalia and my girlfriend, who had just returned from a family vacation to California, informed us that she had heard it advertised while she was out there.  Before the news got out to the farm about what was really happening there, I got permission from my Mom for my girlfriend and I to go into town to attend, the only stipulation being that we had to take our boyfriends with us.  Well, our visit was short-lived as my girlfriend totally freaked out when she saw what was going on and turned around and started running for the gate!  The rest of us wanted to stay but we couldn't leave her alone so we ran after her and left.  But in that short time I saw things I've never seen since - drugs of all kinds being advertised and sold at booths like hot dogs during the fair, my boyfriend's jaw nearly dropping to the ground as naked girls walked by.  Later I learned that my older brother was there the whole time and he and his buddies were buying beer on the outside and taking it in to the stage area and selling it for $1.00 a can, which was a ridiculous amount of money for a beer at the time.  Mostly, I remember that our church pastor, who lived on State Fair Blvd less than a block from the main gate, preached every sermon for weeks after on the sins and deprivation he witnessed in his front yard during the festival.  I guess he had a lot of "hippies" stripping down and using his garden hose to clean up and cool down, among other things." - Anonymous

"I would of considered myself a very rounded party person until this weekend.  I quickly found out I was still a Virgin.  This was a trip that introduced me to an experience I will never forget!   

It all started as we were driving into Sedalia the traffic was bumper to bumper.  The vehicle behind us was a VW Bus from Colorado that had 2 beautiful chicks and 1 dude.  The one girl quickly began conversation with me asking me where we were from then after introduction she began sharing her Black Hash and a drink she called orange sunshine.  I had no idea what orange sunshine was, I just thought she was a great looking chick from Colorado wanting to share a cold drink.  They ended up camping next to us during the whole event.  We didn't have tickets yet and quickly found out the fence was down and we could literally drive right into where we camped.  Campfires and outdoor showers with hundreds of naked people taking showers around the clock in the heat.

One of the amazing sights was seeing people everywhere with blankets rolled out selling drugs as if you were at a Flea Market AND with State Troopers standing and watching.  The troopers were standing right next to the blankets with bags of pot stacked up for sale. I was told the Troopers feared a riot so they ignored the drugs and made sure their was no fighting or killing going on.  Can you imagine what was going through their heads.

I also remember seeing "Tents" set up with signs selling sex.  Coming and going through the tunnels to listen to the bands you would walk 5 feet and hear LSD for sale, another 5 feet hear heroine for sale, you name it and that drug was available.  

The only thing that really bothered me was seeing golf carts going non stop picking up people and taking them to the OD Tent.  I never new how many, but I knew a few people passed away from some bad drugs that were sold at the concert.  This to me was the hard part to accept.

I remember walking around taking in the experience and sights as if I was a tourist on vacaction.  I am sure I will never see anything like it again.  

One of my "funny' experiences, we had partied all day in the heat and I  passed out in a lawn chair listening to the bands.  When I woke up I was startled, there was naked girls sitting on the end of my chair and all around me.  At first I couldn't remember  where I was and what was going on, I kept thinking I was dreaming, wondering why these strange naked girls I didn't know was sitting with me and listening to music with the sun setting.  I remember thinking this had to be as close as you possibly could ever get to Woodstock.

The bands were awesome, it seemed as if every band you could name was there.  I remember the helicopters bringing the bands in and taking them out.  I could go on and on like anyone else that was there I'm sure.  My guess, most of the people that came to Sedalia continued to follow the Greatful Dead off into the sunset.  Because of Woodstock I believe they did everything possible to keep the lid on this event.

Now at 53 I feel I am better prepared to raise my 4 kids ages 16 to 10.  I can honestly say I was 1 of 150,000 people who had a once in a lifetime experience.

I was pleasantly surprised to see your documenting this event, I thought it was totally forgotten about.  I really wonder how many people are still alive of the 150,000 who attended.  I am a marketing consultant and would be happy to give you some ideas on how to find people who came to the event." - Randy Franks

"I remember a near riot when we arrived at the fairgrounds as the fence came down and everybody just started walking in.  We just threw down our sleeping bags and in the morning when we awoke their were bodies everywhere, it was amazing.  Our 2 older friends told us to let them take care of the drugs and sure enough they would try them out first.  There was an immense variety to choose from.  Wolfman was announcing about the bad drugs that contained chlorine and strictnine.  We met alot of really cool people and we partied for 3 days, when Joe Walsh was on stage I can remember seeing the people climb the towers and they were swaying back an forth,  Wolfman said "if you don't come down Joe Walsh will not play"  so they started to come off those towers.  I remember the towns people would not let us in their stores, at Penney's they had a table in front of the doors and you would just tell them what you wanted and they would go and get it.  And that extreme heat, I don't believe sun screen was available at that time, but it did not keep us from having fun. The music was great although I can't seem to remember who all was there.  I do believe Joe Walsh did rock the stage.  My brothers and I talk about this and we have told our friends, we still have pictures.  I pay up to $200 for a ticket now and then and to see everybody at Sedalia was only $15.  The 70's truly was the era to be in, for all of us who survived we can turn around and remember the fun, I know most of us are in our 50's and 60's now and sometimes when I tell these stories people will say "you did all that, I can't believe that of you"  we were all kids at one time, I just happened to be one that got to be part of music history." - Delores Lamkins

"I went to the Ozark Music Festival with three other friends in two cars which the one I rode in had arranged to pick me up after my lunch break in which I was to say I was sick and going home that Friday night. We had stocked up on some weed and mini whites beforehand and I had taken some before my shift began. It was about 95 degrees that evening and probably about 120 inside the welding shop, so between the heat and the mini whites I definitely looked the part of being sick when I left. We arrived in Sedalia around 11pm and as we pulled in and found a parking place on the fairgrounds, Joe Walsh had just started to perform and was playing "Rocky Mountain Way" as we walked down to the stage area. My most notable memory of the festival was the amazement of the lack of any violence since arrangements were made that law enforcement could not enter the fairgrounds. That was until Saturday evening, we were leaning against our cars getting ready to head to the stage for the upcoming headliners performances when a black dude ran between our two cars with a butcher knife in one hand and dragging a white woman with the other heading downhill. We just kinda looked at each other and then behind us where they had come from and seconds later we saw a line of probably around 20 bikers and some with the "security" t-shirts on moving towards us through the cars with everything from knives to chains to clubs in their hands. They passed the same way and we heard they caught up with the pair at the lake in the middle of the fairgrounds and beat the crap out of the black dude. Other than that incident we witnessed no other violence, only great music, an unimagineable market of drugs of every kind, and a heatwave the entire festival. One other notable about the drug market, there is a tunnel in the middle of the fairgrounds, two lanes under an overpass divided by a wall. There are ledges on both sides of the dividing wall and one each on the outer walls, and they were lined shoulder to shoulder peddling everything from weed and speed to acid and heroin, one school bus was selling weed in half ounces sealed in tuna cans with a mexican label on them for $20 a can, I wish so much that I still had that can for momento." -  Don Spencer

"I was there when we looked across the race track infield and they said this is where the stage will be, that is where the light towers will be, and this is where the fence will be in front of the stage.
We started to build everything with scaffolding under the stage and for the towers.  It was so hot!! that summer.  The stage was huge.  We built it divided in two.  One band could play on one side while the other was being torn down on the other side, and so it went.  When the construction was completed, they asked us if we would like to keep on working and be used on the stage to set the bands up, and tear them down.  Wow, it was hard work, but it was such a big deal to be a part of.  To stand in the hidden part between the two stages and be right beside the band playing, but then again, we missed most of it because while everyone else was watching the bands, we were working.  I remember going to Wolfman Jack's RV and getting him to make an anouncement to get people off the towers because we were afraid they would crash down.  His RV was solid pot smoke with him and maybe a half dozen girls in there with him.  He came out and did his thing and went back to the RV.  I remember all the people trying to push the fence down in front of the stage.  I remember looking down off the stage to the left at a hose or fire hydrant or some source of water, I don't remember, and seeing naked people covered in mud.  I had grown up on a farm and I thought of pigs in mud, and these were people.  How did they get clean?  Everyone, everywhere, was stoned.  Sedalia was freaking out.  We who were on the stage were freaking out because the crowd was SO big in such a small area.  Every night I went home late and got cleaned up and went back to work the next day.  I remember by Sunday, a lot of the crowd was gone when America played.  America was quiet and the crowd was quiet.  I remember a naked girl out where every one had been the night before.  A guy would see her, they would lay down on a blanket or the ground, and he would have her.  She would get up and go a little farther and someone else would have her.  I remember thinking as I watched her, it was just too much.  I remember watching a Harley gang take a steel fence post and beat and beat on a guy.  I remember on Monday when everyone was gone and we started taking the stage down, just the mountains of trash.  It was one of those events, where the people in the crowd listening, have a story, but we who did what I did and worked it from start to finish, we have a story to tell also. But everything changes and goes on.  It has been a long time since all the daily highs and being stoned.  All the rock and roll, and all the Pink Floyd and Led Zepplin, and having long hair and having a van.  All the things of those days.           Somewhere along the way, the Lord Jesus Christ had mercy on a sinner like me, and now all is different.  And I would wish the same for you.  The peace that I thought I had found in all the drugs and rock and roll isn't real.  It is the greatest thing ever, to find real peace, a real life, and eternal meaning and worth in a relationship with the God who made me.  Not religion - but a relationship with Jesus Christ.  To be forgiven and right with God is so much more than a Rock Concert, however big it may be.  May you find the same." - Anonymous

"The music was great and it seemed like everyone was very stoned.  I remember that if you saw someone passed out you kind of shook them to see if they were still alive.  I remember community showers that were more about cooling off then getting clean.  There was a loud speaker making annoucements and the one I remember is the warning that there was some bad 'orange sunshine going around that was giving people bad trips'  And another one for 'watch out for the window pane that is being sold by the showers'.  (Was it a warning or an advertisement?)

We left to go to a rock quarry to swim and cool off and I rode on the back of someones Harley, topless, because if they guys could take off their shirts...then girls should be able to...(made perfect sense to me then!)" - Cheryl C.

"The bikers wouldn't let us set up our tent where we wanted to because they said it was where the choppers were going to land with the bands. This turned out to be untrue... they were just saving the space for their friends (nice ruse!) I had just graduated from high school weeks earlier but this was HIGH school.  We came from Springfield Illinois.. I have been to over 200 grateful dead concerts but this will live on in my memory even though i could not tell you ONE band from the OMF! I remember some guy coming up to us at the music area (we were prob'ly 100th row or so) with a pipe he had made from some beer cans. The bowl was prob'ly 1/3 of a beer can. He asked us for a donation and we put some weed in.  He kept coming around giving us hits off of that pipe all night long. I remember the pile of trash in the music area that was prob'ly 20 feet tall. It is good to get these memories written down. there will be more to come. I think we were trying to re-create what we had seen from the WOODSTOCK MOVIE.  There were good vibes all around but nothing to galvanize us except maybe the oppressive heat. I remember the drugs being sold openly especially behind the stage area where people had SIGNS advertising various illegal substances....the OPIUM stand was giving free samples.  It was the black tarry stuff that I later found out was bogus (but it smelled great) There was a guy walking around with a tray he was carrying (like the cigars, cigarettes, tipparillos commercial) with OUNCES of mexican weed in tin cans the size and shape of small tuna cans.  My buddy said "there's no weed in those cans" and the guy grabbed one and opened it with a can opener and sure enough! $10 a can! seems like a much better deal than the $10 per can of beer that I have read about on this site!  The OMF definitely set the bar high for me." - fido

"Sedalia folk remember the upheaval of the community as the date of the festival grew closer.  My brother, a police officer in Sedalia at the time, called my dad and told him to NOT let me go to the festival under any circumstances because of the sheer craziness of it.  So, I didn't get to go.  All I remember is the stories of people sleeping in yards, using garden hoses for bathing, and car washes, the emptying out of soda and ice trucks before arriving at stores, people naked washing their clothes in the laundry mats, drugs and sex, and the sheer amount of trash left afterwards.  It was a crazy time.  I have heard since that an video was shot of the festival but the Missouri government confiscated it, I wonder where that video documentary is today, if it still exists?  My brother said they were on the fairgrounds, some in uniform, but they did nothing, they were so badly outnumbered.  Does anyone remember if they called out the national guard or not?  I've read the finally report on the festival by an investigative committee, it was wild." - RMc

"My greatest festival memory (besides lots of sunburn, drugs and cameraderie)? It was nighttime. The Eagles were playing. I was somehow managing to stay balanced in my lawn chair as I sat at the fencing surrounding "the speedway" where all the music was happening. The Eagles announced that Our President Richard Nixon had just resigned. The crowd went wild!! And wilder!! About that time, the burley, biker dude sitting in a lawn chair on top of a van next  to me mumbled, "Oh, wow," rolled out of his lawn chair and fell from the top of the van to the ground, and just laid there. All I was capable of doing was to say, "Oh, wow." (luckily, his friends came to his rescue and he was fine). What a great setting to hear that one of the most corrupt presidents in our history had come to his senses, accepted his responsibility and done his duty by throwing in the towel! How can you forget something like that? Great, great memories!" - Marta

"We loaded up his Nova with several coolers, a ton of beer, camping gear, etc. and had to inflated his air shocks to maximum height to handle the load.  Those three days were a blur, but one of the best times I've ever had, despite the strained facilities (water, toilets). Coming from a small town, I could not believe some of the things I saw that weekend. I saw most of the bands perform, and sometimes I was so tired I could hardly stay awake to watch the performance. We had absolutely no hassles from the law while at concert, until we left. Driving out of the fairgrounds, I remember the police swarming like buzzards over a carcass! They were everywhere! We were stopped for a difference in bumper heights (no kidding). It seems that since we no longer had our heavy load of beer, the air shocks put the rear bumper of the car up higher than the front bumper, which I guess is a vilolation, or so we were told by officer friendly.  I recall Jim did get a ticket. A quick search of the car found nothing illegal, and we were free to go." - Al

"Anne, Big Stu  and Jack S***, if you ever read this, I hope you have great memories!  What an experience, so d*** hot, but so much fun.  And, such hazy memories." - Harry

"The bikers took over the stadium area and turned it into a racetrack. We were all smoking lots of pot and somewhere along the line I got ahold of some MDA...one of the girls walked me to the bathrooms but left before I got out. I wandered the crowd for hours looking for my friends. I'm not so sure when I finally made it back but I woke up on my cot in the blazing hot 100+ degree sun, burnt to a crisp. Someone opened a hydrant and we all got as close to it as we could to get some relief from the heat. I bought an awesome three foot tall bong...I can't remember what ever happened to it, though. I was too young for Woodstock...getting to go to OMF the year after I graduated from high school was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. It was nice to see the poster because I honestly couldn't remember all of the bands I heard that weekend. I only wish I hadn't lost all the great photos I took at the festival. It really was a once in a lifetime experience!" - Becky from Kansas

"We enter right behind our friends and from the time we got in the fairgrounds we never saw them the whole 3 days, the little time that it took us to show our tickets and get in we didn't have a clue where they had gone.  Remembered being escorted thru the local grocer by a local who was pretty astounded by the whole thing. Took a bath in cattle barn where there were faucets and everybody just got naked and minded their own business. there were lots of tables set up in the tunnel under the track where your could buy whatever you wanted in drugs. Sat out in the heat for most of the acts but had to take breaks cause it was so friggin hot, was some what cooler at night but not much. I still have my ticket stub, I wish I had documented all the bands that were there, it was a crazy weekend." - c mcdowell

"To try to tell the stories would be an injustice if hours of explaining didn't acompany the images provoked in the stories.  God it was hot. It was near 100 degrees every day. We arrived on Thursday, early afternoon. There was no fence left near the gate we arrived at. We had tickets and walked on the downed fence. The town looked aware and scared as plywood was over some business windows,etc. This was large. I don't think an estimate of the crowd could be any less than 300,000 and be fair. I have been to the Indy 500 over 10 times. This was a very large crowd. Times were different. The music was awesome. The heat was terrible and fluids were unaddressed and became critical for many as it was to big a hassle to walk thru the crowd for water. I'm glad I survived. I will never forget. But who would have predicted these kind of temperatures?  Drugs were the negative. Music was the positive. If you were there, you were glad you went, glad to make it home, and thankfull for the memories of a weekend that can't be forgotten." - Anonymous

"Today I checked out this site and shared it with several of the no sayers, THANKS!

What a summer!  I was in summer school at SIU Carbondale,  that spring had brought on streaking and a major party on the campus and into the town, then came the summer, quiet with most of the students gone home.  My friends and I heard promotions of the coming concert on the local rock and roll radio stations, but had not planned on going, then on the friday of the concert the radio kept saying that a major happening was under way as there already were more people in Sedalia than tickets and all highways leading there were packed.  That was all we needed to know we packed and drove overnight to the festival.  

We arrived early Saturday morning and managed to get into town and park I believe east of the fairgrounds behind a Dairy Queen (or something similar),  There were no more tickets and we were walking outside the stone wall of the fairgrounds where we saw a guy on top of the wall pulling people over for a dollar.  Two people would boost you up and the guy on top would grab your arm and pull, when my turn came I grabbed the guy's hand and we both started laughing, he pulled me up and I said thank's Digger!  When you are from a small town in northern Illinois what are the odds that you will run into someone you had grown up with at an event like this.  Digger was three years older than me, we had both served tours in Viet Nam, and had not seen each other in several years, We talked helped some more people over the wall said so long and it was in to the concert.

I remember seeing a couple guys outside the fairgrounds with a U-Haul box type truck loaded with beer and ice, they were from Kansas City and they had been thinking, selling the beer at $10.00 a case which was probably two and a half times the rate at the time.  We carried two gallons of water into the fairgrounds and traded drinks for food and whatever.  I also remember how everyones spirits soared as the sun finally began to set and it cooled somewhat, then there was the smoky haze that hung overhead mixed with the music it was quite serene.  

We made it out of the fairgrounds late Saturday evening found my car and slept on sleeping bags on the hood." - Amboy

"Camped outside the fairgrounds in the center of the one-way streets going into the fairgrounds.  I remember the heat, the music, the partying, going to the rock quarry to get cooled off.  Great time, great music, great memories." - Lucas

"Today is the 40th Anniversary of Woodstock and it brought back memories !!!  

My Old Mind started working and was proud to be a part of the Second Woodstock in Sedalia !!!(The Best) !!!!

Wish then World was like it was back in those days !!!" - Jeff Mathis

"...mostly I remember how well behaved everyone was...and the music was FANTASTIC...only bummer of the entire weekend was breaking down on the way back to New Mexico..but we made it, thanx to the good karma we took from the event!!!" - Steve James

"As we got close to Sedalia all roads were one way going into town and towards the fairgrounds. Anyone leaving Sadalia had to drive on the shoulder or in the ditch. We arrived in a 1960 chevy station wagon that we had to pull the last few miles into Sedalia because of overheating in the slow traffic. People were everywhere on foot and in vehicles all the way to the fairgrounds. I will always remember the antisipation and excitement going in the gate and seeing the huge stage in the distance. There was a car in front of us at the gate taking a while. Come to find out the driver could not find his ticket after driving for three days to the festival. Yes, he was not a happy camper, and one of the big dudes wearing a security t-shirt made him go back out the gate. Our group of a couple cars went in with no problem, and got a camp spot pretty close to the outside of the track inside the fairgrounds. There were not a whole lot of people at the festival yet, but it wasn't long before we could see people knocking down the fence and before we knew it, there were thousands of people everywhere. Our group went to the stage area and were able to get as close as we wanted. There were Harleys flying around the dirt track having fun, and people were making their way towards the stage and getting their spots. We held our spot in front of the stage and took turns going back and forth to our vehicles. The tunnels between the fairgrounds and the track were very interesting. You could buy anything you wanted in those tunnels. There was at least one good mud slide down a hill coming from a water spicket that was entertaining!  IT WAS VERY HOT FROM THE TIME WE GOT THERE UNTILL WE LEFT! The sound system, and dual stage set-up were awesome. I did not see all of the bands, but saw most of them. We brought enough food and supplies that lasted us the whole time. My bro did run out of beer and ice and paid $1.00 per bag of ice, and $1.00 a beer! Back in 74 that was alot! The free spirited nakedness and sex was a first for me, and it didn't hurt me one bit! There was one area in the fairgrounds that you did not go around. There were bad bikers causing trouble in that one area. But other than that i never heard of any problems besides THE HEAT! Man it was hot, even at night! The shower rooms had long lines but was worth the wait. Men and women were all taking showers together with no problems!!! Imagine that!!!@#%&*  I had a t-shirt and button with the Ozark Music Festival logo, but they didn't make it back to Illinois. There were so many good bands, but as the sun went down one evening, i will never forget Wolfman Jack and the Midnight Special bring out the Eagles! And hearing Ted Nugent late one night screaming turn this mother _ _cker up! I wish i would of had a good camera back then because our group was right up front. The view from the stage had to of been fantastic because it was on the ground looking back at all the people. I think there were way more people there than reported. Well, it was a good time, and a learning experience for sure. I run into people once and a while that hear my story and say, I WAS THERE! And it is interesting to hear their story. I have a copy of my original ticket blown up to 8"x10" and it is on my wall of memories in my garage. My original ticket is in ruff shape from the festival and being in my bilfold for years. It is in an old cigar box along with quite a few ticket stubs from concerts in the seventies. The 1974 OMF ticket, and my 1976 Skynyrd stub, are very cool to me! The Ozark Music Festival was the biggest music event i will ever see in my life, and i thank my only blood brother for making it possible for me to be a part of the largest, or the next largest peacefull music festival in history!  Rock on people!"  - Tilly Bob from Illinois

"I still have my ticket because he gave us "press" badges that let us come and go as we pleased. I remember going in the grocery store to get a birthday cake and they would only let 5 or 6 people in at at time, with workers at each end of the aisles to make sure nothing was stolen. Anyway Joe Walsh and the guys picked us up and gave us a ride back to the festival from the store so we hung out with them for a while. What a blast, it was awesome (what I remember anyway). It was soooo hot that the pavement would roll up on the tires of cars as the town folk would drive by to see all the "hippies". We freaked that town out for sure!!. We camped across the street from the actual Stage area and had to walk back and forth across that hot pavement and who wore shoes?? Funny how I can't remeber what happened last month but the festival is forever seared into my brain :)" - Harmony

"What did happen was what seemed liked a non-stop parade of hippies looking for ice. of course there was no ice to be found for 20 miles.  I was under strict orders by my parents not to go, so I went, all 3 nights. There were huge holes torn in the fence and we just walked through. I was amazed at how many people there were and how dirty it was.  We didn't watch the bands but rather watched all of the people. It seemed liked most of them were stoned or tripping, which was not surprising considering how available the drugs were. I was also amazed at how much nudity there was.  On the last night of the festival we went to the quarry outside of Sedalia just to see what was happening and to drink the rest of our beer. As we were sitting there talking with some other partiers, when out of the water, just like Venus, walked a naked girl and sat down beside me. Unfortunately, this was between me and her boyfriend.

When I got home early the next morning my mother was waitng up and gave me a severe butt chewing for going. At work at my Dad's lumberyard the next day everyone was teasing me about the naked girl." - Anonymous

"and was alone but heard a lot of good music and made it home alive." - kevin turner

"I never found him there but I did find a tall goodlooking guy named Ray who had just gotten out of the Air Force overseas. I actually first encountered him while hitchhiking from Memphis to Sedalia and acutually ran into him when we got there.

I hitchhiked to Missouri with glass tube earrings with a hit of windowpane acid in each earring and we did the acid when we got there.  I remember my two friends telling people walking by that it was my birthday and they would tell me to open my mouth and they would pop a pill into my  mouth!! Who knows what I took but I didn't get sick.

I do remember alot of the concert...I remember the Eagles most of all because the stage was completely dark...I was up front being held up by my shoulders and stepping on a sea of cans...Wolfman Jack was speaking in that low husky voice of his and all of a sudden he yelled the Eagles and the stage lit up with the band launching into "Witchy Woman" !! I was mesmorized.  

I remember the bands being flown in by helicopter to the two sound stages.  I remember Hare Krisna.  I remember Joe Walsh singing "Rocky Mountain Way".  I remember the moon on the way up to Sedalia as a crescent with a star in the center.  I remember swimming in a lukewarm quarry with little minnows nibbling on my arms.  I remember the birthday cake that the girls I was with bought me as I still have the pink plastic "happy birthday" thingy from the top.  And I still have the green wristband.

Now I am a diehard Lynryd Skynrd fan and someone who will never forget those three days...my Woodstock....my era....and I wouldn't give the memory of what I experienced to anyone!!" - Anonymous

"I became friends with some people in the apt. complex, and was invited by them to go to this outdoor concert in MO with them for the weekend.  It was not my first concert, and it was not my first outdoor concert, but it was the biggest event I'd been to and I feel like I was pretty naive now, when I read some of these stories, (not that I was an angel or anything). It was a great experience, and it was hotter than hell.  I still have some pictures-  hosing ourselves down at the carwash, taking a swim at a pond we found outside of town, and of a guy covered in mud from head to toe, plus a couple attempts of photographing the crowd and stage.  Glad to see this event is getting the recognition it deserves-  good or bad, it was a big deal.  We were just a bunch of hippies looking for a party, and that's what we found.  Thanks, Sedalia, and sorry we messed up your town!" - DJ

"He had no idea what I was getting into or he would not of let me take it. I think there was 6 of us that went, and to this day because I have not seen them in 30 + years, I can't remember for sure who was with me . I know one  guys name was bobby, one of my good friends and his Dad was a highway patrol officer. His dad had heard what was going on and we had not left our Mid Mo town until Friday morning and stuff was already happening, he had a hard time getting him to say yes, and I think Bobby said hey i'm 20 yrs old and he got the ok. My mom and dad had no idea what we were about to get into but i'm sure glad I got out of town before they read the Friday evening paper. Bobby and I played college football and we knew it would not be long before we reported to 2 a days so this was kind of our last blast. I think another guys name was George, have not seen him for 30 + years and there had to be three more of us.
I have always wondered how could I forget who went with me , and its not from getting old or to much booze that weekend. I think it was because this event was bigger then us and hell we didn't see each other that much.We had about 10 cases of beer and tequila with us. We had plenty of Ice and took off for the concert. We ran into traffic on highway 70 and 65 and I don't know how long it took us to drive from the juntion ,but it seemed forever. We had tickets, how we got them is still a mystery to me.
Who told us about this is a mystery to me. Anyway we finally made it in to Sedalia and drove through a fence that had just been knocked over and parked the motorhome . Everyone jumped out and left me, so I just hung around and cased out my parking spot ,locked up and I guess kind of surveyed our area for trouble spots , where to go etc. I remember walking across the track , finding the stage area and my buddies.  We didn't sleep much that night. Saturday was a hot MF and some guy in back of us could bark like a frikken dog , by the time we left and went home we had mastered that bark and I want to thank him for that.  we were down by the stage and out of beer. A couple of us went to get more beer while the others saved our spots. We grabbed a trash can and filled it full of Beer and ice, the d*** thing must of weighed 250 lbs.  While we were hauling it back people were wanting to get beer from us and I said  ten dollars a can just so they would leave us alone, little did I know that they would frikkin pay ten bucks for a can of bud . So I had to sell or we would have lost it all. We had plenty left by the time we made it back.  I just remember how heavy that trash can was .. I remember all of the drugs and motorcycle's riding on the race track and reading Steve Fleagles post about him riding on a pallet behind a  harley and seeing him fall off is a true story because we thought you were one crazy dude and witnessed that.  I remember some cat climbing on a tower and they told him to get off and he stayed until they went after him and pulled him down and it wasn't gently either We stayed away from the drugs and just drank beer and tequila for the most part. Most of the bands I can recall, I remember Nitty Gritty Dirt band throwing frisbies back and forth to the crowd.as far as interaction. and also going up to the bleachers and sitting under the roof to get away from the hot sun. My girl friend lived in St. Louis and me being a very faithful type guy stayed away from what could have been one hell of a good time ( love the one you're not with ) so I guess I missed out on the free love part of the concert.  As I write my blog i'm sitting hear listening to Sirius radio channel 16. they have just started there woodstock special and this will go for 3 days. Well all I can say is we had our woodstock in Sedalia, did we know it was going to be like this, no but then there are always things that just kind of come together at certain times in our life times and I was so glad to experience Sedalia from the start to the end , to all the great people that were there and to the town of Sedalia you changed our lives those three days  and it was for the good. We were the boomers coming up and now have been in the work force and some have retired. I bet if you ask anyone who was there if they would do it again. They would give you a 5 word answer   where , when and what time.  Hopefully we will all be here in another 5 years and more can find sites with film footage and sound tracks" - Anonymous

"I was driving a 1966 Chevy pickup T. Trammel (three on the tree) with a camper top.  All we brought with us was our bag of weed (I think) and a large sleeping bag.  We had a hell-of -a first night but things started going south from there.  

We got into the fair grounds and found a place to park, got out the sleeping bag, laid it on the ground (big mistake) and went to look around.  There were F-ed up heads everywhere.  We went to the under the track tunnel to try and get to the stage.  In the tunnel you could buy any type of dope known to man.  But don't buy the Orange Sunshine because (as they said over the loud speaker) "IT'S BAD".  We tried to get to the stage, but no luck so we wandered the rest of the evening returning back to camp to find our sleeping bag had been ripped off!!!.  NO LOVIN' THAT NIGHT.  We had to sleep in the truck.

The next morning we awoke and made a quest for food.  There were very long lines and allot of the local restaurants ran out of food and had to close.  We got our breakfast and went back to the fest.  We saw large mud wallers where the party goers had turned on fire hydrants‚ to cool off and wash off.  We got to the track in front of the stage where we saw the heads drawing muddy water up into their works for their fixes.  This Southern Boy had never seen anything like this.  The OD carts were running all over the place, it was pandemonium at its peak.

Later that evening we were walking around the camp grounds when I saw a dude come out of a tent with a HOLE in his fore head.  Come to find out the guy was getting some free lovin' from someone else‚s Ole Lady.  The Ole Man came back and didn't like it so he conked the guy in the head with a ball peen hammer and sent him on his way.  EXCITING!!!

Well it's Sunday now and time to head back home to Marion Illinois, but I'm too screwed up to drive.  SO my girlfriend had to drive the three on the tree (which she had never done before).  We had a truck load of Hippies (that we were giving a ride) twisting up joints and playing the bongo drums in the back.  IT WAS GREAT.

Well we made it back home (it's a wonder) and now it's 2009.  I am thinking about taking a bike ride back to Sedalia to see if I can make more since of and remember things that may have happened... Way back in 1974.

I don't think that town knew what it was getting into.  "The Ozark Music Fest (to them) sounder like it was goign to be a Blue grass thing, not WOODSTOCK DUCE:)

Rock on my Brothers and Sisters" - Bob Connell

"When we got to the main gate we found that many people were freaking out on acid. We had a trained nurse with us along with several people who were experinced in bad acid trips. We decide that we could help so we made Medic Signs and they opened the gate to let us in. Although we did spend our fair share on time at the Medic Tents, we were there for the party.

When we got to the gate at the track, they were not letting any cars in the infield, we told them we were Medics but they still did not let us in. They told us to watch the gate and a couple of our people went with them to get approval from the Medic Tent. Once they left, we drove in and parked on the left side of the stage. By the way it also open the gate to a wave of cars that followed us into the in field. We ahd the best seats in the house.

It was a great time. We did see any problems and everyone was having fun. We did however stay pretty close to the bus and our area.

I didn't get to go to Woodstock but I can say I went to the Ozark Festible.

PS - The blonde from MO who stole my heart that weekend - Call Me" - Bob

"I used to have the t-shirt, but unfortunately it was lost somewhere through all the years.  I do have photo's.  One shows a car on the track almost  completely covered in mud.  Soooo Much Fun!" - Deb

"Among the group who lived there was another dude named Paul (same name as me).  He was from Canada.  We saw the Rolling Stones Mag ad for the OMF and decided to hitchhike across Kansas to attend. My brother didn't want to go.  We made it in 3 rides and 1 day.  We arrived the night before without tickets and, like many others, just hopped the fence.  I remember waking up the next morning and looking around from my position about 150 feet in front of the right-hand stage.  There were people as far as I could see in every direction.  As the day rolled on, it got hotter and muggier.  By mid-afternoon it was 100 and sweat was pouring off of me.  At some point someone opened some fire plugs (one was sheared off at the ground).  A number of us took off our clothes and were running through the waterspout naked.
I had seen a lot of the bands in my travels in various places that summer, like Lynerd Skynerd, Marshall Tucker and OMD, but some were totally unknown to me.  I remember being blown away by Leo Kottke and Ted Nugent (he had a "guitar battle" with the guitarist from Iron Butterfly).  I also remember Wolfman Jack getting booed off the stage and pelted with trash when he tried to announce lights out when Skynerd was playing.
Joe Walsh was excellent with Barnstorm and the Eagles were top of their game.  

I remember the Jungle Juice semis they were selling cartons of fruit juice.  After inhaling massive amounts of pot and sitting in 100 degree heat for hours, that stuff was like the nectar of the gods.

After three days, my friend Paul decided to return to Canada and I decided to return to El Paso.  I  started hitchhiking south through the Ozarks.  I ended up sleeping under a bridge in Little Rock.  The next day I got picked up by a guy in a red Mustang who was going to the other end of town.. He was a big blond guy.  He started telling me how he was running for congress.   I keep wondering if I crossed paths with Bill Clinton, but the memory is too fuzzy to be sure." - Paul Oberlander

"I got non stop rides all the way there.I met alot of nice people from all over the United States.I didnt have to wait in traffic like alot of people stated and i got right into the grounds and for some reason i didnt have to pay, some guy put a arm-band on me and it was party time from then on.I met up with my aunt and uncle and their friends,they were surprised to see me there.It seems like yesterday of being there and it was the best time of my life i will ever experiance.I am 50 years old now and since the 1974 3 day and 3 night concert there has not been anything to compare to the memories of The Ozark Music Festival." - Rick Clay

"We drove from OKC, OK on Thursday to Kansas City, Missouri to drop our children at my husband's parents so we could go to the festival.  We arrived at Sedalia on Friday morning.  I remember tons of people everywhere.  When we got into town, we tried to go in a grocery store and were told to get out, that they didn't want hippies in their town.  The store people were quite rude to us and we really didn't understand why; we just wanted to get some food and drinks to take to the fairgrounds.  We left and I remember Winnebagos everywhere with people just hanging out in town.  

When we got to the fairgrounds, we were actually able to get in and find a place to park our car.  We had taken a tent, so we pitched it and were there for the whole 3 days.  My husband was into drugs at the time and needless to say, he disappeared the first day we were there.  I did not do drugs or drink.  The days that followed were quite interesting to say the least.  In my hunt for my husband, I walked the entire fairgrounds.  I saw naked people everywhere.  Drugs were being sold freely everywhere I turned.  People walked around with signs hanging on their bodies selling every imaginable drug there was.  People were camped everywhere and laying on the ground all over the place and you had to walk over them to get anywhere.

The music was incredible.  You could hear it from any point on the fairgrounds.  People were high and dancing to the music, having a blast.  I passed many tents and places set up for drug OD's.  There were plenty of them.  I checked them for my husband, but he was not in any of them.  

The heat was awful.  I remember trying to take a shower in my bathing suit and naked men and women just walking in trying to shower with me.  I was quite shy and didn't know what to think of what was happening.  I was scared because my husband was missing and I had no idea where he was or if he was okay.  But, I was not afraid just being at the festival even though it was totally crazy.  As crazy and wild as it was, amazingly, I felt safe.  I don't remember any fights; people were just mellow and hanging out having a good time.  

I remember the fences being torn down and the police stayed outside the fairgrounds and didn't hassle anyone.  I know the police had to have seen the people walking around selling drugs, but they didn't do anything.  

I remember people were climbing on the stages where the musicians were and it was totally wild!  People were crammed in up around the front of the stage, some laying on the ground,  and I had a hard time getting around them.  

I did stumble upon my husband the last day of the festival, and of course, he was high and had been the whole time he was gone.  It was a miracle that something didn't happen to him.  Too bad for him, he was so high, he didn't have any memories of what had transpired at the festival.  

It was an experience of a lifetime and I'll never forget it.  I remember all the hoopla about it after it was over and done with and my husband's parents telling us about seeing it on the news while we were there.  Of course, they were worried sick about us.  But, I remember thinking, wow, I was there and I was a part of something big!

I saw a TV show about Woodstock recently and it made me remember the Ozark Music Festival in the 70's.  I googled it and found this site.  I couldn't believe it.  It took me back to a time I had almost forgotten.  

Thanks for letting me share my memories." - Barb

"Well, it got close.  We were among the fortunate few who managed to get close enough to the main stages to enjoy the music.  We picked a nice spot between the two stages so we could see both and proceeded to kick back and enjoy the show.  Lucky for us all of the resulting "bad things" didn't seem to happen the first day.  I do remember the announcer coming to the mic and saying he had good news and bad news.  The good news is the shows about to start.  The bad news is we have 117 people in the hospital.  We're not being judgemental about what you want to do to have fun....but make your seller try it in front of you...they're selling stuff laced with strychnine and bleach...people ...please be careful.

You gotta understand that I was 15 years old and not at all prepared for what I experienced.  Looking around me I saw people with cardboard boxed and homemade signs offering whatever drug wares they had to offer.  Not being a stoner  this didn't interest me. But the naked girls dancing and swaying to the music did interest me.  The hotter it got that July....the more clothes came off.  Oh yeah....there was music playing.

Electric Flag and Fresh Start wasn't exactly my kinda music but they rocked the house and did a good job.  Newcomer Bill Quateman was fantastic.  But when I got to see Souther, Hillman ,Furay, The Eagles and then Joe Walsh.....it all seemed worth it.   Well almost.

My sister Teresa under estimated the sun.  Coppertone was the order of the day, but in 1974...they didn't have 1000 different sun screens with whatever SPF rating you wanted or how well does it block UV rays....she got fried like an egg and before the evening was over she was crying and insisting we had to go home.  In the middle of Joe Walsh we had to go home?  Are you kidding me?  As much as I wanted to tell her to just suck it up and enjoy the music.....we packed up and found her friend who just tossed us the car keys and set have fun.  You remember I told you I was just 15?  My sister was 18, but she didn't drive.......

We left Sedalia around midnight and headed back to Tulsa hoping to God we didn't get stopped , cause all I had was a learners permit to get me back to Tulsa.  As it turned out the local cops had so much more to worry about than me.

We left the first night and missed some of the best music of all time.  But we also missed the following two days of ..NO FOOD, NO WATER , NOT ENOUGH TOILETS.  

I didn't miss the naked dancing girls......I will always remember that.
Oh...and the music" - Tom

"I lived in a little town in southern missouri at the time and thats all you heard about, so about 12 of us loaded up and went to the festival . It cost us $20. at gate but i would have payed $100.We sleeped around the train, what little we sleeped we partyed real hard.We took a pound of weed and it was smoked in the three days, i was 19 and i dont remember to much of it .I think they ran out of ice and some people were saleing they're ice for $5.00 a bag that was a lot of money for a bag of ice back then and the cops couldnt touch you.You could do what ever you wanted. So i must of had a good time if thats all i remember. those were the days So hello to all of the people i met at the Festival witch i dont remember." - Dennis

"I was there, but now, with the 40 year anniversary of Woodstock, the conversation among people from my generation leans toward, "What rock concerts did you attend back in the 60's and 70's?" No one can recall Sedalia in July of 1974.  So to prove I was there, I had to do some internet research, to make sure I didn't just dream this gig up when I was tripping out.
 
My girlfriend, Mary, and a buddy Jim came down from Omaha, with a buddy of Jim's who came from New york, I think.  We came down to Sedalia on Thursday, and I remember the road going into Sedalia was jammed with cars to the point of traffic stopping for minutes at a time and then inching forward a few feet, then repeating the process.  Mary and I would jump out of the car, start walking up the road between the cars, talking to people we didn't know, sharing numbers and getting high, then when Jim and his buddy would catch up to us with the car, we would jump in and begin the process all over again.
 
It was one big party, and I know, from what I can remember, we all had a blast, however, my memory isn't too clear on a lot of it!  There was plenty of beer, getting high and tripping material within easy reach.  It was so hot, I remember walking up to homes, and asking those inside if we could use their hoses and water to cool off.  Most residents of Sedalia were friendly, and let us use their water.  I also remember businesses such as quick shops and grocery stores controlling how many bodies were in their stores at one time...as a few left the stores, a few were allowed to enter the stores, and no more.  
 
A few friends of mine from Omaha went to the festival, as well.  They were nursing students, and one of them, Diane, brought a large jar of peanut butter and a loaf of bread with her from Omaha...that's what she said she could survive on at the festival...and that's all she brought for food....and that's exactly what she did.
 
I did take some photos, so I can prove this festival really existed...I've got them in an old photo album...I've saved the halter top that I wore at that festival...it was also worn to many a great gig/concert/road trip during that care-free time of freedom, "no one to be responsible for except myself" time of my life!
 
As I said, I can't remember everything that happened at the festival, I've traveled a lot of road since then, however, every time I drive through Sedalia...on the road to somewhere else...I always, without a doubt, remember those few days in July of 1974, with good friends...summer freedom...music blasting through our ears...with thousands of like-minded folks all there for the same experience.  35 years later, I can't help but wonder what they are doing now...what paths their lives traveled...did they achieve their goals for themselves...do they ever look back to 35 years ago and remember the experiences they shared and how those experiences shaped their lives?
 
Continuing on life's journey...an adventure," - Karen

"not near enough porta potties. a lot of naked and stoned people was there. I remember when Lynard Skynard was playing, I wanted to get up close to the stage, and I actually had to step over 2 people s******* right out in the open. What a time to remember." - Mojo

"but the sound of Joe Walsh's guitar cutting through the hot night air was worth all that - fantastic! I also remember Ted Nugent satrying to break a glass via high-pitch, high-decibel guitar playing -  don't think he did it.

My son headed out to the Gathering of the Juggalos in IL this week which got me thinking about Sedalia. Compared to our party in MO, the ICP folks operate with military precision. I hope my son has half as much fun as I did. Sedalia was great!" - Mefoo

"Although he was 50, he liked some of the bands playing that day.  He told me and my 15-year-old brother he wanted us to go with him.  We were shocked.  What was Dad up to?  

We went to the festival timidly. Gangly, wide-eyed teenagers trailing their somewhat hip Dad.  I saw things that day I had never cared to see, nor have seen since.  People stoned, naked, defacating, hawking drugs and prostitute tents to anyone, including us.  Almost more animal than human in their loss of dignity.  It was disturbing, and convinced my brother and me we never wanted to be a part of that culture.

My wise father knew exactly what he was doing." - Anonymous (Sedalia, MO)

"Spent a lot of time in the Hog Barn, which had running water.  Good times, though." - Anonymous

"Someone had cut the chain link fence right next to the main entrance, so we walked right in through the hole rather than pay. (The story was that only 40,000 of the 150,000 attendess had paid). The place was so crowded that when I noticed a naked guy walking toward me, I pulled my wife 3 feet away from him and she never saw him.

As we walked into the racetrack infield (a 20ft piece of the infield fence was removed) we had heard a horn honking, kids diving out of the way, and another OD was removed from the 100 degree music area. The long-haired teenager had his eyes rolled to the back of his head.

Once in the infield, the stage was home to all the great American bands at the time (some still touring today), with Wolfman Jack emceeing the weekend. Immediately, we spotted a gorgeous gal running topless through the audience wearing jeans with her shirt tied around her waist.

As we wandered around the fairgrounds, kids were asking us how to get to the quarry (west of town - I think a photo from the quarry ended up on the front page of the St. Louis Post Dispatch). Kids were already begging for money on the first day of the festival. Kids were stripping down to shower in the animal watering area attacting large crowds to watch them shower.

My wife was going beauty school at the time, so she heard every rumour that was flying through Sedalia at the time. I remained at Whiteman for 2 more years and we always had a laugh when the local news ran another story about the festival 2 years after it was over. Matter of fact, the first thing I said to my wife when I read about this exhibit was "Sedalia is still talking about the festival" - Patrick Tenny

"I suppose that there were bad areas but just stay away from those areas. It was plenty hot but having worked in the heat it didn`t bother me that much. Great music. I wouldn`t trade the experiance for anything. A lot of people from that era that didn`t go wish they had. An Ozark Woodstock." - mark mohler

"Well, the deal fell through.  We slept on the ground the first night, but were lucky enough to know the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band.  Kerwin, a photographer, had worked with them on their live album, Stars and Stripes Forever.  They let us stay in one of the rooms.  We even got to fly to the hotel in a helicopter.  I have a favorite picture of me and Jimmy Ibbotsen back stage before the band went on.  He certainly was a cutie during the day!  Everyone was so friendly all weekend and we had a blast!" - Joanne Plevka

"but as I got closer ,Icould tell they had teir hands full with some big bikers .thats when I noticed that one of the officers was taking a rip off a big red bong!. I swear .I took a big pull from my bottle ,washing down the window pane that was sitting on my tongue,and knew it was going to be a party like no other.But the big shock to the system came on the way back when my friends car broke down and we ended up back at the fair grounds.I was still searching for my stoner -chic soulmate,and I just knew she was searching for me .The place was almost deserted,piles of crap every where,tried to shower,but couldn't because it was 12'' deep with ???you name it.Then I saw her walking ahead of me .she had long dark hair walking carefully through the debris .THAT'S HER I thought ,and quickened my pace to catch up to her to introduce myself . She was looking down.when she looked my way,I saw the freshly stitched gash from above one eye,down her cheek to her chin.She explaned, through sobs,that her biker boyfriend broke a gallon wine jug across her face .And then I knew the party was over and it was time to go back to "normal'' .So my friend and I went back to the gas station,where the car was,and was able to help another freak with car trouble with our tools who gave a really cool handmade bamboo water pipe,wich was confiscated from us by Bellevue,Ne police when we got pulled over for something and set it in a field and SHOT it,still new and clean in it's bag,thinking it was a BOMB!....But no arrests were made and I made a bong out of a flashlight that same day. And I still think those guys look rediculous in them uniformsand if they could have been with us at the fest,they would KNOW how rediculous they look,too.. anyway ...If your'e out there ,little scarfaced girl,I still see you in my mind and hope your'e life got much better...LOVE to ALL, PEACE to EVERYONE........ ticket no.047603" - "Roach"

"We were music lovers and several of us played garage-band stuff--Black Sabbath, Grand Funk Railroad, Rolling Stones, Brownsville Station.  I can't even remember what I told my parents before going, but they must have thought it couldn't be too wild if it was going to be at the state fair grounds.  Actually, I don't think I expected it to be more than some good bands in a fairly controlled environment with the normal amount of weed floating around.   But, it was over the top.  Lots of drugs of all kings being openly sold and quite a few naked people.  Excellent music with only short delays between the bands.  We made our way to an almost perfect spot each day--directly in front of the right-hand stage maybe 30 or 40 yards back.  Some awesome bands from the era: Lynard Skynard, the Marshall Tucker Band, the Eagles, Cactus, Elvin Bishop  and many others, some now lost in the haze.  The Wolfman was great.  The crowd was peaceful and into the music--mostly freaks from all over the Midwest.  I talked to people from all of the surrounding states  As I was leaving on the last day, I remember buying a t-shirt from an attractive, bare-breasted woman.  The t was was made out of a stretchy kind of material that seemed to last foreever.  I wore it occasionally for more than 25 years.  But, I moved out of the area after undergrad at MU, and I'm sure everybody outside of the midwest thought the Ozark Music festival was about bluegrass or old-time mountain music.  I think my wife accidentally took the t-shirt with a pile of stuff to Goodwill sometime after 2000." - Anonymous

"We drove from Springfield, Illinois. I still have my ticket and my button. And because of the peice in the paper, I found out my cousin was there too. Far out! Those were the days!" Viki ( Stachurski ) Black

"One scene etched into memory was a biker being chased by a group of other bikers, the lead one brandishing a tire iron in the air and others carrying chains. The guy being chased was really truckin' with his long hair flying back. The chase looked like it was a scene right out of an R. Crumb underground comic.  Drugs were everywhere.  I heard the cops talking at the fence that there was no way they were going in there with as few of them as they were.  You didn't have to look too far to see a topless girl but it wasn't a sexual act but more an act of freedom. And besides,there were a whole lot of topless guys too as the heat was extremely oppressive with the sun blaring down on the audience along with high humidity.  The only relief I found was sleeping in the grass just outside the fence at night where Len had parked the car.  On the trip back home about 300 miles from the fairgrounds we passed a car full of young people our age and they looked just as dust covered and dirty as we were. At 70 miles per hour I yelled over at them asking if they had been at Sedalia and recognizing us as fellow travelers of the same experience they all excitedly began yelling back that they had." - John Crouch

"Bizarre s*** happened for real like:  We were sitting under a make shift tent (like the ones in the photos in the article) listening to REO Speedwagon or Aerosmith and out of the right corner of my vision I saw a skinny, shirtless, tattooed, biker crawling on all fours like an animal.  He was so drunk he couldn‚t walk.  He spots Barry‚s dog, MaryJane, and paused to give the canine a smooch.  MaryJane was not in tune with his vibe (and it was 104 in the shade) and proceeded to bite the biker in the face repeatedly.  Time froze.  We were speechless.  We thought a serious hassle would erupt but  the biker dude blinked, looked at Barry (who was holding MJ back) and said, "That‚s a good g****** dog man - good g****** dog."  We handed him a cold beer and he continued to crawl in the dirt through the heat as we all reached into the cooler for another cold beer while rock n roll blasted out from the stacked Klipshorn speakers a hundred feet away, "Dream On, Dream On, Dream On Until your dreams come true" - Bags Owen - Ozark Festival Class of '74

"doug knew a lot of people as he was a local musician. we stood on a street corner and bummed enough spare change to buy tickets and food from everyone that came by, most were his friends and thought we had a great idea. we hitchiked to the festival, and 60 miles out of sedalia we missed getting picked up by state police by 20 seconds!  our ride, a stationwagon full of festival goers,  was just up to speed when a cop that had warned us about interstate hitchiking came over the rise with his lights flashing. too late though and everyone in the car cheered our victory. a girl in the front seat sat topless, breast feeding her baby chatting cheerfully with us one night i remember riding around the huge campsite on the top of a ryder rental cube truck with about 24 other people. a couple was having sex on top of the truck and nobody seemed to care, we were all laughing and joking and looking at campfires and people as far as you could see. we saw some guys trying to light a porta-pot on fire, so we all jumped off chased them away and put out the fire in a gesture of good will. with the incredible heat there were naked and semi naked people everywhere. on day two hundreds of girls not in the habit of being outside topless had sunburned breasts. a cult called The Children of God, a.k.a. COGS had a huge bus, and P.A. system. they played music, recruited and served free breakfast. they had topless girls with beer cases strapped around their necks like a vender at a baseball game selling cold single beers and handing out literature.  to this day it was the wildest event i have attended. the walkway tunnel between the campground and the stage was lined with dealers offering any drug you ever heard of! early on, we found some people we knew and secured rides home. on the way out we passed hundreds of tired burnt longhairs lined up beside the highway trying to hitchike out of sedalia.  later in live i ended up becoming schoolteacher and a landlord with college apartments. my friend followed the music he loved and has a successful metal band called Kings X with a 20 year body of work and several tours a year...we are still in touch!" - dennis brownfield

"To this day I have never seen such decadence. I had the time of my life. Looking back now it seems scary. I had a ball. Almost everybody was naked." - ed

The sheriff said an early morning crowd estimated at 20,000 in the fairgrounds camping area had grown to 35,000 to 40,000 before noon and was still growing. Local officials said earlier they expected a
crowd of only 20,000 to 30,000. 

"The way they're coming in from all over, the crowd could easily exceed 100,000. At this point, I expect it to," Fairfax said. 

"Gary said we could not ride with him as he was riding with others.  So, we said fine, we will hitch...next thing we know, Gary is putting us in the Chevy Suburban.  I did not know the other people.  I was 19 and Gary was 31 or 32.  But I trusted him.  

I remember when we arrived, I think we arrived early Saturday, I was so excited!  But boy was it an event I will never forget!  GREAT music, never again to be heard like that!  Hot as hell, helicopters dropping ice on us, sitting in the covered stadium to cool off with thousands of others, walking thru the "tunnel" and all that lurked there in the corners of the dark!  

But I never saw any violence or anyone being mean.  I did see some that were OD'd being hauled out, but I think it was really the most wonderful event of my youth I will remember, especially since Gary was there to watch after me.  

After 35 years, today July 21, 2009, I finally told my oldest daughter I was there!  She just view the web page and was shocked!  I always told my girls as they were growing up, you can't pull anything over on me, I've been there, see that, done that!  

I am in memory heaven today revisiting those fond memories!
Thanks for this!" - Alicia L.

"I remember my mom telling them they could use the water hose on the side of our house to get a drink of water or clean up if they wanted to. It was a little scary but, my parents told us they would be leaving soon & just stay inside.  After reading some articles about what was really happening at the festival - it's hard to believe this took place in the quiet town of Sedalia!" - Rochelle Dick-Peterson

"Well, this was the most awesome thing I have ever done in my life!  What an eye opening event! No hassels! Free to just enjoy your way!   I remember going over to the stadium and sitting to cool off and the helicopter were flying over dropping ice onto the crowds!  The occupants of the chopper would fly by and moon us...

Then at night my friend and I went through the "tunnel" across to the other side!  That was a trip!  Also we tried to get down to the stage and what a journey!  Mud and all those people who got there first!  

For a small Alabama town girl living in the big city of KC, it was the event of my life!" - Anonymous

"I had the honor to be there with my friends and will never forget the time we had.  This one weekend
has probably been brought up a hand full of times over the years and when asked if I attended I was given a strange look, like I was an outsider or had lepersey. Early on I would try to explain what we did, what went on,how we had the time of our lives but people just kind of gave you a blank stare..As if they believed everything the media reported. Finally I just said "man  there is no way I can explain what we did in those three days. So its with great pleasure to finally find people who were there and read your stories. THANKS .  I was a Jr in college, just turned 21 , I love Rock music and cut my teeth on KAAY. Beeker Street. We didn't have a chance to get to Woodstock and figured this was as good a time as ever.  I could copy and paste all of the stories because mine is the same as yours. I didn't bring home any desease or drugs. Once the net came into our lives I started searching for info about the concert but didn't find much, Just a few pictures and the bands that preformed. I will try to make it up to Sedalia and check out all that has been done at the Katy.  Maybe someday someone will step mup and do the story or movie that this weekend deserved.  The Sedalia Rock Fest. let it live forever." - Anonymous

"I have good memories of sleeping in the stage area in the afternoon just to keep my group's "spot" and my neighbors waking me with some cold water.  We played cards while we waited for the music to start.  I called my mom & dad every day from the phones at the Grandstand...they were so worried.  But all was well.  It just took patience with the crowds.   Great music!" - Debby Leavell

"made way to stage for eagles.while watching them some idiot p***** on the back of my leg.my first thought was ,hey somebody has water.the dude was so messed up on downers he didnt know what he was doing,so i didnt hurt him to bad.the crowd around me cherred tho i guess he was falling all over people before i decked him.i made sure he was alright before i left.i would do it all over again.peace to all who were there." - john

"Whenever you would start moving again, people would hop on your fender and catch a ride for a bit. When you enterred the grounds it was like another world. People walking around in various states of nakedness, string around their neck clipped to a piece of cardboard advertising prices for whatever they had for sale. The various spiggots that were soon turned on facilitating a mud bath for all. It was sooo hot., but saw very little comotion where we were. People seemed to be in that peace and love groove. The track lights were turned on for a bit Friday night eluminating heads behind us for as far as we could see. Looked a small city.
The funniest thing we saw was some guy riding on the back of a motor home, facing backwards. The motor home drove under a wire of some sort that hit the poor guy in the moddle of the back flipping him 15 feet or so to the ground into the dust. As he made it slowly to his feet, all we heard him exclaim  was "DUUUUDE". Indeed." - roger

"One story was the girl that was with me severly sprained her ankle so we went to the aid station and saw first hand some of the OD people, all sorts of conditions from freaking out to coma, it was an eye opener.  there were two guys who were entertaining the people at the aid station with a type of improv comedy, it helped. These two guys were probably high and not offical with the concert but it helped keep down the intense atmosphere at this time.  Vic ended up at the hospital where she found out that her ankle was not broken, fortunatly we ran into a friend who drove up and she was able to get a ride home. The heat was the worst problem I had, I did not leave the concert grounds so I was not aware of the problems outside the fairgrounds.  I stayed till Monday after the show and was woke up by law enforcement and told to leave and not stop for 50 miles. the person who picked us up and who we camped with gave me a ride to Kansas City and I hitched to Duluth, Mn. The music was great and it was not all loud rock, also remember Jim Ryan the Olympic miler giving an inspiring talk Sat or Sun morning.  We wore hospital braclets to prove we paid and that is the only souviner I have of this event plus the ticket stub. It was the strangest event of my life at the time, overall most everyone I knew who went had a good time.  I graduated from Ok State and have had a normal life.  This is the first time I have ever read or heard about the side events during and after this festival." - Anonymous

"It was like every rule was tossed out the window. We didn't trust our officials anymore. They had lied about Vietnam and that was just the beginning. I personally saw three deaths occur in front of me. One from drugs, one from gunfire, and maybe a few of you remember the guy who tried to jump his motorcyle onto the tracks in the arena. I picked parts of him off my pants leg. In four days my life changed in alot of ways. Some people never came back the same or not at all. It was the cleansing my troubled spirit needed at the time. I went back , started a family and career and often wondered what happen to the person that watched Joe Walsh with me that nite. Ummmmmmm?" - Anonymous

"As I recall it started out as a small hole but soon you could drive through it.  We had a ball and I would attend another anytime. As for the heat that was killer.  We thought we would die.  As for the rest of it, I saw more there then I have seen in any of my travels, heck I even was a part of it. Everyone was great for the most part.  We were surrounded by a group of fun lovers, at night we would go for a stroll of course and we didn‚t see any violence but we did hear about it.  We heard there was some cases of violence but I am not sure who was involved.  All we saw was a lot of sex, drugs, and rock -n- roll  It was the last, best time I had with my brother, as he died on his bike, 1 week after getting back home.  08-31-53 / 07-28-74.  He had the time of his life as well.  
    I found this site this morning on Yahoo News and I simply had to respond.  It was great.  In closing I will add that on our way home we got pulled over for speeding in Xenia Ohio, where we spent a night in the parking lot of the local jailhouse waiting for fine money to be wired down the next morning." - Bud York

"the first night,we just parked the car and stretched a tarp off of it
for shade. there were a lot of girls walking around topless but we were too stupid to realize we didnt need to romance em so we didnt get any free love.drugs were out in the open and i remember so guy offering mesc,so i kinda quizzed him to the quality of it. he kinda got bummed and said bad karma man
and left me holding several of his caps without taking any money. eventually,we ran into some dudes we knew from home and they invited us to camp with them. in the dairy building. it had a window out front and they had a buncha weed to sell.
i think it was 10$ an ounce if you brought your own baggie
and 15$ if you didnt have one. had quite the enterprise going as they had a couple garbage bags full to sell. wasnt real good stuff but it didnt matter. basically,the only reason they invited us was to make the group larger and cut the risk of a robbery.
somewhere in the course of the last night i got woken up and told man,we got to go. seems like the bikers had shown up and one guy got stabbed.everyone was gone and the two of us were
alone. on the drive back,my buddy ,who was sleeping,suddenly woke up screaming and grabbing the wheel saying mike ,the car. i made him ride in back the rest of the way.
and all we ate was corndogs down there. i cant even think about eating a corndog anymore..
we did carry a good portion of good pot and a bunch of pills as well,so we didnt really need to buy much down there,but it was a cornucopia of different drugs available and many lanes thru the campsites had cardboard signs saying things like acid ave
and speed way. it was all out in the open,and the cops would see it and not try to do anything.we got there early enough to get prime sites on the grounds,so we didnt go into town,we just bought stuff from the few vendors that were there(we both worked at the same restaurant in st louis and had money,not a lot but enough to get by on.) i remember seeing some guys racing on the dirt track,sitting in the grandstands with some girls(again,we didnt get lucky)there was also a big mud pit to one side of the stage where there was a water spigot(it was on the whole time we were there) people were just sliding around in the mud and having a grand old time. i know things happened
there but it wasnt dissporportionent to the number of folks there.
and the bikers were much meaner then than now.
i wasnt one to read the paper back then so i dont recall any backlash from the event,but there was something similar a couple years later in camdenton where black oak arkansas and
brownsville station played a gig at a rodeo arena. we had to enter thru a cattle chute. thats another story.
it was the times man,thats the way we rolled back then.
we did things at concerts that you couldnt possibly pull off without getting busted for nowadays. dont regret any of it. had a lot of fun,and didnt get a record for it.
things are too uptight anymore." -  porter

"When we got in the gate one of the first things i saw was a girl wearing bells on a belt and nothing more than a smile and thongs.on her feet.  It was hooter than hadies so we spent a lot of time at the animal wash stations for the fair." - Anonymous

"I remember the music and Wolfman Jack but not all the specific bands that actually performed.  Well, maybe Ozark Mountain Daredevils, REO Speedwagon,  BTO,  Lynyrd Skinner, Eagles and maybe some others but I was on the move most of the time and the music was everywhere.  It was too crowded and unsanitary for me close to the stage although I did check it out in the beginning for a little while and then near the end of the weekend.  There was every kind of choice imaginable and if you lacked imagination, you had the opportunity to be enlightened.  I remember the good people in Sedalia that were kind to us as we camped on their lawn.  I wish I wrote down their names.  The house was just walking distance from the fairgrounds and they brought us ice water many times.  They offered us food but we brought our own.  They said if we needed anything, just knock on their door.  We were two guys and a girl from Iowa (my new husband and his cousin).  We parked our maroon Rebel Rambler in front of their house the whole time.  We were in a safe place and I want to say a big THANK YOU for their kindness.  May God bless you.  There was another man who was at a service station near the edge of town who told us about a swimming hole the local townspeople used on a hot day.  He asked if we knew country directions and we found the pristine spot.  We spent the hottest part of each afternoon skinny dipping before attending the evening events.  Thank you for sharing.  It was so hot that all sources of water were used that were available for drinking and cooling off.  The drinking fountains on the fairgrounds were an oasis and we filled our water-skins often.  We saw a local carwash on the main street in town being used to cool off with clothing optional.  We thought that would feel a little too harsh and were so happy to have our special watering-hole outside of town.  On the first day, we went shopping as there was every kind of drug openly offered for sale.  My husband‚s cousin had traveled extensively in Europe and advised us to consider the naturals and stay away from the chemicals.  He examined a ball of opium of interest and said it was cut with incense.  We would likely get sick and not have as good a trip.  We decided on the magic mushrooms.  They were wonderful!  The next two days I experienced the music as it breathed through everything I focused-on like the clouds, the trees, the air, and the people.  Everyone looked you in the eye (no matter how dilated they were) and smiled or nodded a common bond.  There were some negative aspects but it was not the predominant mindset.  Yes, I was looking with Œmushroom eyes‚ but my experience was positive all the way.  I even seriously considered taking off my top to cool off and Œhang loose‚ but got modest real fast when I saw someone from my same hometown walk by. I saw many people share what little they had and kindness was all around.  I saw the good people of Sedalia open a building to help those that made bad choices and likely saved many lives.  Everyone knew they could go there if help was needed.  I saw these same good people everywhere in golf carts picking up those that had made bad choices and could not get to this building for help.  May God bless all those that cared for others without judgement.   I observed the negative aspects as well and looked them in the eye also; but only long enough to acknowledge and reject it.  It is sad to me that much of the published memory of the event to date was of this negative aspect with its superficial sensationalism.  Of course, I believe there were more people like me with positive experiences.   Like me, though, they were not there to Œtake pictures‚ but to share the best music ever in this area and share the experience  of extreme life condensed in one set of circumstances,  in one friendly small town in Missouri during one weekend in 1974.   Thanks, Sedalia, and sorry for any inconvenience.   Hopefully, I can return to this website in the future and find more positive accounts like mine.  My husband and I did move to Missouri a couple years later and got jobs and raised a family about an hour from Sedalia on 50 acres.  Now 32 years later, we are still here as Missouri continued to be good to us and we prospered.  The Missouri State Fair we attend most years has a special meaning for us that had been personal all these years and now we have the chance to share that experience with others in this current Œflashback‚ event at the Katy Depot.  We also frequent the KATY Trail and feel fortunate to have the best bike trail in the country so close to home." - Beti from Iowa then and Missouri now.

"Motor homes with loundspeakers selling all types of drugs. A lot of people with little or no clothing at all. We got there 2 days ahead of time and got a desent spot. . We were sitting in the van and there was a couple haveing sex in a sleeoing bag right next to us. We thought it was pretty funny. I remember at one point the sound towers were full of naked people, and Wolfman Jack trying to get them to come down. Yhe line for the showers was coed and I took mine with cute blonde girl. Later on there was problems with water and sanitation.  It was one the best times I had as a kid. The best and biggest concert of my life. Many of those bands went on to superstardom. Elvin Bishop stole the show one night with a version of +Hey Good Lookin+" - Thanks Dan

"I took a pillow and a toothbrush.  I don't remember ever using the pillow!  When we arrived bikers boosted us over the fence.  It was the most amazing time.  I don't remember any of the violence or prostitution some articles describe.  Just great music and so many people.  We "showered"  when  they opened fire hydrants and tried to stay cool in the heat.  The people I arrived with left on Sunday,  I hooked up with another friend from Rolla for a ride home.  Being a 20 yr old Hillbilly girl I thought the Bluegrass on Sunday was wonderful.  I have always been amazed through the years that no one ever heard of the event.  All those great bands at one venue and in Missouri no less!  So many memories!" - Betty G.

"I can't recall if it was by design or just a matter of timing but we did not go and visit the weekend of the festival. I would have loved to have gone but was working construction for my dad and really had no time and no one to go with. Of course after another year in Texas that would have no longer been a obstacle. The point of this story is the next weekend my grandfather, Dewey Guinn, 76 at the time, a near lifetime resident of Sedalia told us a story about going to the grocery store on the weekend of the festival and while in the store he ran into a young couple who were obviously in town for the music festival. Although they were not what the people of Sedalia were used to seeing he said they were very pleasant and spoke courteously as he passed them in the aisle and he greeted them as well. When grandpa got back to his car he found that the young couple was parked in the car next to his and as he was getting back in his car he noticed the girl was getting ready to return to the fairgrounds and because it was so hot, had already removed her shirt. Grandpa grinned at the couple, and said, „It's nice to see you, thanks for coming to town!‰  He said they seemed nice enough to him and I think like most men, the appearance of female breasts are always a welcome sight!" -  Bill Guinn

"A Ford Panel Van without windows or AC, four guys and two gals piled in and experienced the traffic jam, the fence being torn down, the hot air ballons, the drugs, the everything, and last but not least the GREAT MUSIC.  Under a small lean-to baked in so many ways and rocking out for days.  Its probably the highlight of my late teens. On my 40th Birthday my sister (who didnt go) made a montage of my life, and sure enough she found the video I took with my old Super 8 and included some of the times at OMF in my lifes story.  As much as Woodstock was for our generation, OMF was a coming together of the center of our country.  They don't make 'em like they used to seems to come up about our lives in those times and the purist times we are in now.  When's the last time you heard of 150,000 people, and all the things that happened that weekend especially in the Midwest.  Sedalia will always go down in my mind as a Mecca of my youth.  Sedalia you should be proud.  I pray we can get back to the country again before I die.  Peace and LUV" - Doug

"as we came closer to sedalia the hills get like a roller coaster and i remember being slightly frightened cuzz the driver was swerving some. we arrived at sedalia,and the underpass going in was a swarm of ongoing drug sales,guys had 50 gallon clear trash bags filled with seconals(reds), qualudes,and christmas trees(barbitol)?,i had never seen anything like it in my life
we scored a couple of reds and a large hunk of blond lebanese hash.and set out for some fun,the bathrooms were full of people young and old having sex,we took a rain check on that,but copped some beer as it was still early and the masses hadn't yet arrived,now some of what i write might today sound unbeliveable or horrific,but considering the absence of a.i.d.s.,and the era just post vietnam(technically,anyways),and people looking for a "woodstock like" experiance,the times were primed for madness.
we met a fellow on the first day that had both arms,and when we ran into him later he had only one.
my guess is he got his arm cut off breaking into a store in town when supplies ran out.
there was several motorcycles driving around with the woman in front and nude having intercourse
several reports today say the heat was over 100 degrees,but if my memory serves me correct,on the second or third day it hit 107,people were lovin the jams and the fun,but it was a game of survival really it was
things were great ,and for the most part it was just folks having fun,but about midway thru the festival some people sold bleach as cocain and the overdoses were hourly.
the fairgrounds had golfcarts which they whisked the overdose victims away on to awaiting ambulances,hollering O.D!!! O.D!!!!!
and despite the massive crowds people pretty much got outta the way to facilitate there removal.
i believe wolfman annonced that a girl was born named "sasha" there,and i could be wrong but i think it was ted nugents child(at least thats the way i remember it.)
the scene was crazy all thru the concert,there were some bad bikers trying to extort or intimadate people,but really 99% of the attendees were cool and shared what water and beer and food they had
put in its perspective it was a classic case of several "bad apples" spoiling the whole bunch.
we were invited to a bonfire on the second night and saw a helicopter landing,we went to see which "band" it was,and saw the crew offloading bales of marijuana,and more pills.
fearing we would get our asses beat we split and even skipped the rest of the massive bonfire,and hightailed it back to the fest area
our seats were awesome and thruout the fest we were like no more that 20 rows in.(on the grass,not seats really)
i saw more weird and bizarre yet peaceful  acts than i could ever again if i live to be 100.
over the years i have tried to share stories with people i have met,but they never heard of the fest at all,it was such an embarrasment to the town of sedalia that it has been shrouded in mystery and secrecy ever since.
perhaps i think,because some of the police or the mayor or someone was in on the drug sales?...i dunno?
it's nice to see that 35 years later the truth is being revealed.
we came home sunburned ,hungover,and exhausted,but i wouldn't have missed it for the world.
i am not certain that today as an adult i would want my son to go to something such as this,but he is less streetwise,than i was.
but i would consider it,as even though it was total insanity ,it was in many ways a rite of passage of great magnitude,and was the defining line for me,between boyhood and becoming a man.
peace`out" - terry m.(illinois)

"Wow, what an experience.  Most people don't believe it when I try to describe it.  Thanks for memorializing this incredible event." - jniels (utah)

"I have good memories of sleeping in the stage area in the afternoon just to keep my group's "spot" and my neighbors waking me with some cold water.  We played cards while we waited for the music to start.  I called my mom & dad every day from the phones at the Grandstand...they were so worried.  But all was well.  It just took patience with the crowds.   Great music!" - Debby Leavell

"we were there from thurs-sun -all my friends from all over mo still talk about the money we made, the people we helped , great music and some of the most wildest  times i've ever seen. we had great connections  for best spot on grounds,and other things.  we knew would be big event so brought lots supplies .my friends all belonged to  rugby team  and they were asked cause of their size to be security for concert, so they rode the horses and were at entrances and any whereever  else needed , so made it easy for us to enter and exit anytime. we sold the fantastic ozark festival t shirts for great prices and went back and made more. we had our camp and all our tents that security friends got us right  under the big slide, so had lots shade. we would take turns driving back to burg to get ice and  food and other things that we sold  when needed. we picked up hikers  each time from as far away east as maine and west as calif. got them inside too, always had somebody at gate wating at back way in to grounds. i have many stories and many pictures from this great event. that are all great. only bad thing i remember is my girlfriend and i  finding a body of a girl in garbage can not to far from our camp. we heard she od and her friends were to scard so they dumped her. they were as f---- as every one that was there, including us. we ventured down front but stench and puke from people messed up was just to gross so we had guards save us seats in very top corner of bleachers and i'll never forget the great sounds we  listened to from reo, eagles, lynurd skynurd and more that night and all other groups we heard each day and night-i beleif that was elvin bishops day vue. it was truly best concert i ever saw aside of when i went to see  jimmy hendrix and janis joplin,big brother and holding band, the cream and blue cheer at filmore west during 60's when i lived in calif. i am estatic to see this sight and will be so happy to see the exhibit.so many stories to tell, but think i'll just let you people remember them, i'm sure you do.
(wild lady from 70's still loving that great music and wishing i was there again or that there would be another great concert-with a better promoter this time!) oh and i can't believe anybody would say that was 1 of the worse times of their lives- DID YOU NOT HEAR THE GREATEST MUSICIANS EVER!" - BIG LEGGED WOMAN-  MO.

"I hung out with a group of girls and we went and did everything together and pretty much what ever we wanted (we were 10 foot tall and bullet proof). I was 16 and didn‚t have any money for a ticket (even though the tickets were only $15.00).  Tim a much older gentleman that we hung out with needed some embroidery done on his jeans so I was hired to sew; I‚ll call it a „floral arrangement‰ on his jeans for the price of a ticket; it was a master piece I might add. I did not tell my parents where I was going I just took off.  Tim had an El Camino and he made ME drive the whole way there.  I drove 50 hwy from Kansas City, Cindy road shotgun, Tim and Cheryl in the bed of the El Camino. We made it there and I didn‚t even need a ticket the fence at the fairgrounds was cut down so we just walked it.  From that moment when we stepped through the fence it was an experience.  We partied, did not sleep, the music was incredible, I walked into a bathroom and there was a naked guy, he had a leather pouch tied around his neck; I pinch his naked butt and he gave me a pill from his pouch. It was hot, Cindy, Cheryl and I walked around (with very little on) and a guy stopped us and told us we were the best looking girls he had every seen.  At one point we went to get a block of ice; we carried it in a beach towel through the fair grounds to where we were going? I remember wrapping my arms around it, putting it up against my body to cool off.  The whole weekend we walked around and partied; we did not sleep or eat.  We met people from all over the United States and heard their stories.  I saw girls walking around with out their tops on, people holding signs advertising what kind of drugs they were selling.  I don‚t remember if we had shelter.  I do remember we hooked up with other people we knew from Kansas City (all guys).At one point we hooked up with a guy from Bolin Green, Kentucky that feed us cantaloupe.  I hated cantaloupe, but fell in love with it that day.  I sucked it down like I hadn‚t eaten in days; oh that‚s right I hadn‚t......I kept my clothes on and did not have any sexual encounters and listened to the best music EVER.  I made it back to Kansas City, not with the people I went with; I do remember stopping some place and swimming with a bunch of people, but I slept through that. I was young and thought I had seen and knew everything; it was culture shock and I loved every minute of it..." - Puddy

"We camped out in the field used for parking outside the grounds themselves. It wasn't that far into the arena. I have never seen that many people in all my life.Drugs were everywhere.Lots of naked and near naked people. People were on top of their RV's We envied those who could escape the heat. It was hard to get anything cold to drink in town. We had a cooler and brought our own food. We stayed there the whole time. Maybe some of the guys went into town. They told us it was crazy. Lots of rumors. One was they killed the sheriff's prize bull and BBQ'ed it.We kept running into people we knew from every where. It seemed like the whole world was there.The bathroom facilities became stopped up and water was every where by Saturday. I remember Joe Walsh Sat night. I cannot remember the whole lineup of the bands. I still have my button you got with your tickets. When we left Sunday morning we went to a near by rock quarry and swam. Many were skinny dippin. The water felt so good and it was good to get clean. We had fun but we were all glad to leave that mess behind.None of us had any idea of how big it would be." - GEL

"I hitched down for Bushnell Illinois on Thursday morning with an underage girl (with her moms permission), and dumped her with some other folks from my hometown when I got there (sorry Angie) . My ride got stuck outside of town so I walked in.  It was amazing chaos.
 The music at night was great, but during the day it was to hot to do anything but set in what ever shade was available.
 One night  there were so many people climbing the lighting towers, Wolfman Jack came on stage and talked everyone into getting off of them for fear the towers would fall.
 Several years ago I created a Wikipedia article as at the time there was nothing on the web. It is great to see the OMF history is finally being preserved, for what it was.  
 I had a great time, as I stayed away from the garbage going down and I still have my access button.  
 Hope to make it to the exhibit this summer!" - Curt

"HE WAITED TELL I GOT A RIDE AND I WAS ON MY WAY TO THE BEST CONCERT ,DRUGS I'D EVER DONE . WITH ONLY 30 DOLLARS I PLANNED ON 20 FOR A TICKET AND A FEW HITS OF ACID AND MAYBE A HOT DOG OF TWO . GOT THERE AND SAW ONE OF MY OLDER BROTHERS BUDDIES WAS HIRED FOR SECURITY AND ALL THE SUDDEN I'VE GOT 3 TICKETS AND 30 BUCKS . AFTER DOING SOME MESCALINE AND MELLOWING OUT IN THE GRANT STORE PARKING LOT , I CALLED A BUDDY FROM MY NEIGHBORHOOD HE WAS THERE THE NEXT MORNING AND EVEN THOUGH THE PAKING LOT WAS FULL OF PEOPLE , THEY WALKED RIGHT TO ME ... AND WE WERE ON OUR WAYYYY .. I'LL NEVER FORGET THOSE 3 DAYS , TRIPPING BEHIND THE FUNKY T- SHIRT BOOTH AND STANDING NEXT TO THE TOWER PEOPLE WERE CLIMBING ALL OVER ,WHILE LYNARD SKYNARD PLAYED FREEBIRD. THE BEST CONCERT IN MY LIFE TIME BAR NONE!!!!" - STEVE W. (s.kansas city)

"kind of......my mom was pregnant with me there." - Aron Copeland

"There were people going in thru  a spot in the fence at a culvert. Just inside we were stopped by a burly guy who demanded $3 each for entry. There were about 25 other burly guys with him and their motorcycles were parked around like this was their campsite. Ken refused to pay the money and the guy swung and Ken went down. I'll never forget the scream Ken let out. The guy had a prosthetic arm with a hook shaped device for a "hand". Ken's face was split from the corner of the eye down thru his top lip. After some proding by his buddies, the guy let us out and I stopped a car to take Ken to the hospital. The Doctor operated for about 4 hours putting in 363 stiches and rebuilding the nasal bone. The name still comes to memory with ease--****** ******** ********, **.  He belonged to a motorcycle gang out of Detroit named the *********.  The Sheriff and the highway patrol went in the fairgrounds on Sunday and chased down and arrested the guy. The Sheriff worried that the motorcycle gang might come to Sedalia to spring the guy so he took precautions.  He warned me that they could think to go after the one witness who could testify against ********. I stayed awake  for three days in my apartment near the phone with a loaded shotgun in hand. The Sheriff said they would get there as soon as thay could. The gang did hang out in Sedalia for several days but just sat aroung the lawn of the courthouse across the street from the jail. The Prosecutor prosecuted •••••••• but the jury gave him only one year in jail. He testified about losing his arm in an accident when he was a young boy. Injuring Ken was also an accident he claimed. He skipped out after being sentenced but turned up about 5 years later •• ••••.  The prosecutor had the guy extradited back to serve the year in jail. Thanks to the Doctor Ken healed with only a minimal scar. To this day, whenever I see a motorcycle I look to see if the driver has a prosthetic arm." - Steve Fritz

• Please note - the submission above was altered to protect the privacy of the individuals involved.

"They were selling drugs like crazy as you entered the grounds.  The dealers were in the underground tunnels hawking their wares like groceries.   "I gots uppers, gots downers, gotta fly...see me, best prices in the place".   We bought some reds and some speed.   We had brought a lot of our own drugs.   I still find it hard to believe what I saw.....I remember the music at night the most.  The lazer light shows....at least I think there was a light show at night.   Broken glo sticks smeared on naked bodies.    And the heat...oh my god...the heat.    I am so very glad I went to that." - Sandy

"I hitched hicked from little Rock Arkansas to meet my Boyfriend at the festival, he was working out of town that week and we figured to meet up.. Well, I couldn't  find him.. met many    good people  smoked  some weed  listened to   the best bands ever.   But  never   was able to make contact with  the boyfriend.. Cell phones would have been awesome..  but didnt come along for 25 more years... shit...  anyway he was in a motor cycle wreck on his  high journey home and    and we ended up breaking up anyway but I had a blast and .  I went back to colledge and now own a  tech   company.. who would have guessed a hippy like me... LOL" - made up name was Jenny

"My memory of that event is a bit hazy, to say the least, however I have some vivid memories that still make me smile. Believe it or not, I'm the guy who was dragged around the stadium's dirt track on a wooden pallet while being pulled by one of the Hell's Angels.  The crowd loved it...I fell off the pallet and was slightly injured...it didn't matter, the stadium errupted in cheers for my stupidity.  I recall watching the bands at night because it was so incredibly hot during the day time...we ventured into town one hot afternoon, only to find the stores hadbeen raided.  Another clear memory was meeting-up with one of my traveling companions who had suffered taking the rat-poison being sold as "reds"...we ran into each other when we were at the infirmary.  We had hitched a ride with some guy from Mn. who was heading for Sedalia in an old schoolbus...he picked up my three freinds and I at the I-80 and I-235 intersection just west of Des Moines, Iowa. We had 18 people on that bus when we arrived in Sedalia.  We arrived two days early so we were some of the first people in the camping area.  We set up our camp spot at an area which became known as "Downer's Grove"...all the "roads" were named for drugs. I parted from my traveling companions when the concert was over as I had accumulated a few items in my adventure...I went home with a freind I ran into at the concert. Btw...I'm still sporting a ponytail." -  Steve Fleagle

"We were the in the first wave of cars to arrive in town early that evening but the gates to the Fairgrounds were locked and the line of cars stretched out of site on the side of the roads.We camped in a parking lot beside the highway across the street from the Fairgrounds, A couple of us slept on top of the roof of the van that night  

On Friday they opened the gates and we were one of the first to enter.  We got a great camping spot under the tress but there were so many people we were sandwiched pretty close together.  Highlights for me as a young man were all the young topless women present, and the great line up of music.  Open sex acts could be observed in the campgrounds and the showers were open community showers with men and women showering next to each other.  

The drug scene was ugly as this was a time when Qualudes were popular and there were many people passed out on the ground from drug overdoses.  You had to be careful as you moved around in front of the stage or you would step on somebody.  I remember thinking all these people from Illinois and points North of us were freaking crazy and partied way harder than we did.   

We did not leave until after the last band had played on Sunday, I believe it was America, and by then the place looked like a war zone with trash and debris everywhere.  For those of us that were there, our lives were changed forever." - Jim Long

"We got caught in an 18-mile long traffic jam on the way in, but figured out a back way around it. Got separated from the girls before we even made it through the gate (which was trampled down), and the buddy O.D.'d on angel dust within the first half hour of arriving on the grounds. In the effort to get him out of the massive crowd and to the on-site hospital, I lost track of all our belongings, other than what was in my pockets. I wandered around like a lost soul that first day, thinking my friend was dead and wondering what I was going to tell his parents. I saw a lot of surreal stuff, but I was so traumatized, sleep deprived, hungry, and delirious from the heat that I didn't really stop to take it in until the second and third days, after my friend was released, incoherent but alive. Then I relaxed a bit and had fun.

The music was incredible. With two stages, it continued almost nonstop for the entire three days. I can remember Wolfman Jack making various announcements regarding bad drugs going around, and remember Ted Nugent making a crude comment about a woman in the crowd giving birth. There were constant announcements to the effect of "so-and-so, please report to the women's building," which I had no idea were about. The first two days was mostly rock music; the third day featured mellower bluegrass music, and it seemed the mood of the crowd mellowed as well. The Earl Scruggs Revue and Nitty Gritty Dirt Band played that day, and I gained a new appreciation for that kind of music.

I hardly dared eat or drink anything the whole time, because of the unpleasantness of having to use the squalid restroom facilities, or lack thereof. Not to mention that all our money was lost, except the little I had in my pockets, which was the gas money to get back home. I was already about as skinny as a kid could be, and I probably lost 10 lbs. that weekend. The awful stench of the place stayed with me for months afterwards; I'd never experienced such awful filth. (Another friend I found out later had been there contracted Hepatitis from the unsanitary conditions.) Nor did I sleep for more than a few hours during the whole five-day (including the drive down and back) experience.

After it was over, and I finally rounded up everyone that was riding back with us, it turned out that I was the only person who had managed to not lose or spend every last penny. My friend had had his wallet lifted while in the hospital, along with most of his clothes; he had the worst sunburn I'd ever seen, having been out in direct sun in nothing but a Speedo for most of the second and third days. I turned into a dictator, insisting that I alone could be trusted to drive home (my friend, whose car we drove, was in no condition to put up a fight). After nodding off and nearly driving off the highway near St. Louis, I pulled into a truck stop to get a little shut-eye, and finally relented driving duties to one of the girls for at least a short time, before taking over again for the bulk of the trip. We arrived back home coasting on fumes with 11 cents in my pocket." - Ron Holder

"Really long lines of people going into the main grocery store; rumors were, they were out of ice.  Then later a pickup truck pulled up, full of blocks and bags of ice.  I think they were getting about $10 or $15 for a block of ice.  The ice peddler said he had to drive about 70 miles away to even obtain ice.  It was, as usual, hotter than h*** out.  Another street vendor was selling cold beer out of his trunk, for the outrageous price of a dollar per beer, but it was absolutely worth it, just for the cold liquid going down my young throat.

I was arriving at day two or three.  At any rate, the chainlink fences had big holes you could walk through, so the  $15?? ticket I had purchased for the day was essentially worthless.  Once inside all kinds of chaos and squaller. People hawking all forms of chemical enhancement:  "Get your acid, right here, blotter acid!" or the little travel trailer which had hand-made signs: "Pot"  "ACID"  "Speed," and sure enough inside there were people selling drugs.

Also recall seeing several people, apparently addicts, wondering by in the dirty, dusty crowd asking for particular drugs that they were in great need of.  One strung out dude was asking "Opiates, man.  Does anyone have any opiates?"  Seems he wasn't particular, but needed some derivative from the poppy family, synthetic or natural.

Being a young drug experimenter from Marshall, I think I was directly impacted by depressing aspects of the "drug scene."  I think it took some glamor and attraction out of drugs for me, or emphasized the seriousness of it all, including my own use and experimentation.  

It was also a head-scratching mystery why all these freaks had come to such a dumpy red neck area like the one I lived in.  It didn't compute!  And where were they all from?  I found out a lot of them were like me, Mid-West type alternatives, not from the West Coast or Back East.  A real eye-opener all the way around

Lynard Skynard played that night, in the dusk.  First I had really heard of them.  Recall one of us producing some Mexican pot, full of seeds, and struggling to "de-seed" it in these primitive field conditions.  Some old hippy grabbed the papers, dropped in a generous amount of our weed, and I got a real lesson on how to roll a joint.  As he worked the weed around in the papers, squeezing, cajoling, manipulating expertly, there was a veritable shower of seeds flying out of the paper like popcorn or BB's.    The doobie smoked great, and the music was good too.  It was nicer when the music was good and things cooled down in the evening.  All in all, though, the experience, my only "rock fest" experience, didn't make me want to go to any more." - Anonymous

"as a child i always worked the state fair selling peanuts popcorn and hotdogs.so i have lots of wonderful memories of sedalia and the fairgrounds. as a teenager iwas into rock and roll playing in garage bands and a part of the sex,drugs and rock and roll movement .so you can imagine the joy i felt when i heard of a full blown 3 day party in my hometown. probably the fondest memory of the whole weekend.is the way several hundred thousand strangers became  one big family . the things that went on inside the fairgrounds were too many to list here.on the same note however i saw the devastation to my hometown also.i have always had family in sedalia .and had to try to deal with them during this weekend .as scary as it was for alot of folks in sedalia i personally believe it is a better place as a result of the festival.i know that my parents grandparents aunts and uncles actually learned alot about my generation. this weekend and before it was over.had actually began to help and socialize somewhat with concertgoers.and figured out that we all were more alike than different.i could go on and on with tales of the many wonderful things that went on inside the fence.but wont. i know that i personally changed that weekend .and know tha oh so many others also.we need to keep this memory and others like it alive as these are things that have helped make us all who we are today." - Mack Lawson

"When we went thru the gate the first thing that we saw were people holding signs on both sides of us advertising every drug that you could ever want.  It was terribly hot that weekend & I do remember there not being enough water or bathrooms that were usable.

I saw a few OD's, lots of skin, sex & a sunburn that would send me into convulsions.I saw Ted Nugent (who I met years later) in only a loin cloth jumping off of concert speakers.

I guess you could say that a good time was had by all, even tho most of us were "living better thru pharmaceuticals" Would I do it again? No, but if  you're 17 it was a blast." -  Denise

"My friend Joe Stacko told me about this three day music festival. I wanted to go so bad that I quit my job on the spot that same day, we bought tickets and left the next day. There were five of us that went, me, Joe Stacko his brother John and two under aged kids around 15 that I can't remember there names. All of us were from Cicero, ILL.

On the way we got pulled over by some black cops (looking for a bust) in a bad part of St Louis, Mo checking our car for drugs or something. They opened the truck as well but didn.t find anything luckally.
We finally arrived in Sedalia. I remember The Eagles playing "Witchy Women" at night under the stars one evening they must have played almost an hour it was great! I remember how hard it was to get a cool drink during the day as all the beer was sold out in town. Also a nude couple in the back of us one morning were dancing and having sex as REO Speedwagon was playing "Keep Pushin". WolfMan Jack telling the crowd on stage "Don't do the angel dust or PCP" that it was bad dope.

We all survived the trip and got back to our suburban town of Chicago. I lost all contact with Joe and his brother many years ago.  

But wow so many memorys, little or no responsibilities what a time. Sex, Drugs and rock & Roll Going back almost 35 years ago." - Keith

"It was a very hot day. After that things got a lot more interesting....People with signs on their caps selling drugs...couples making love everywhere, just out in the open. I took a leak in front of thousands of people and nobody even noticed or cared. It was one great time, and I will never forget it!" - Darrel

"Kids of today--it doesn't matter what you do.  WE (Your parents) have already done it, so don't think we won't figure it out!).  Until I saw the poster on Rod Siever's website, I did NOT remember seeing all those groups.  I remember the HEAT, living off of ice for 3 days, and the fire hydrants going strong to keep us cool.  I remember pulling up at night and climbing through the fence to get into the fairgrounds and nobody stopped us because EVERYBODY was doing the same thing.  I remember people bathing in the pond.  We set up a "lean to" with our city name on it.  One of the guys who went with us stripped his clothes off and wrapped a t-shirt around his personal zone.  We named him Baby Huey after that cause he sure LOOKED like Baby Huey.  I also remember a guy, stark naked, who walked by and saw our city sign and he stopped and said "Paducah?  I've been to Paducah.  I got thrown in jail in Paducah!"  He stopped and chatted with us for a while and then continued on his naked, merry way.  Boy--what a fantastic time it was.  I just wish I could remember the music...WOW."  - P. Ward

"I had a friend of mine who had a idea about selling ice cream (posicles) while we were there the only problem we had was the refrigerating unit went out after the first day, I remember the ice cream melting into our hands while we were trying to sell them,I ended up giving away a lot of ice cream to all the pretty women. I remember one in particular that had her breast painted with roses, what a beautiful site she got all the ice cream she wanted. had a great time." - Rick Morrison Tulsa Okla.

"It became obvious that it was not a "family oriented blue grass festival" as advertised. Sedalila had never had so many named bands and young people in town at one time. This was intriguing to me and so I decided to "do a sociological study of the gathering." I donned my shorts, got on my bike and rode out to view the scene. I didn't pay the entrance fee, choosing to enter through a fence that had been torn down.

It was intolerably hot and I was met with dozens of young of both genders stripped and cooling in a fountain of water from a fire hydrant that they managed to turn on.  On the grounds, there was plenty of pot smoking occuring and young bare breasted girls sitting on the shoulders of some guys (equally nude) watching the performers. No one seemed to be offended nor where there law enforcements officials around to check this  their behavior.

From the outside, what was happening on the Fair Grounds would have been (and was) often described in very critical and not very complimentary language. I tried to be open to what I saw and did observe an event which spoke volumns of another aspect of human nature.

It was hot. The Fair personnel had very few water fountains in service. People lined up for a drink. On one occasion, a young woman, who was obviously under the influence of drugs, stepped up the fountain with a little girl.  With at least a dozen persons waiting, she drank, then proceeded to meticulously wash her face and the face, hands and feet of what was probably her daughter, taking more than what should have been her alloted time. What was amazing was that no one  complained. No one chastised her for "taking too long." No one rioted! It was as though each one understood the situation and demonstrated more patience than I would have seen had this been an occasion during the family oriented State Fair. This was truly an example  of Christian compassion and understanding, one on which God surely must have smiled and said 'well done good and faithful servants, in as much as you did it to one of these, you did it to me.' " - Rev. Marvin G. Albright

" Also, my group brought a giant inflatable banana and inflatable baseball. Teaming up with complete strangers, we had many Banana-Ball games during the three-day festival." - Anonymous

"If it weren't alcohol I didn't know much about about it.  The crowd was good and only rumors of violence floated around.  The politicians tried to make a big deal of it said all the windows were broken in buildings.  Only thing was those windows were always broken.  Couldn't get ice.  Traffic south bound on 65 was at a stand still all the way to I70 and then out onto it.  It was an experience I'll never forget. I heard that Whimpy the head custodian for SFCC wouldn't forget it either." - jap

"I was fresh out of high school, I lied to my parents and my work just so I could go.  We left EARLY on the Thursday before the event, to get there and try to get a good spot. Little did we know, EVERYONE else in the Mississippi Valley had the same idea.  We arrived Sedalia in the afternoon, to find a line 22 miles long on the side of the highway that started at the Fairgrounds gate. At dinner time, after the poor residents of Sedalia were overcome with the amount of people already there. We were told to go find a parking lot to park in, as the gates would not open till 8 AM on Friday. At 4 AM on Fri, someone was going around yelling that the gates had opened, so we scrambled FAST to get in line. We were fortunate to get a spot right by the Colosium entrance and the cement livestock pads, that would be weeks later be used to wash and prepare the Fair livestock for competition.  We had SO much fun the whole wkend, we never felt in danger, but then we were careful not to do things like using the restrooms,  that by Sat afternnoon had NO male/female designation. Altho that was inconvenient, we just stayed away. We brought our own drugs &  liquor, so we only viewed all the beer flats, signs advertising drugs and vendors with smiles and disbelief.  The Eagles had to threaten a walk out if the guys that were climbing on the light towers, didn't get down.  People got VERY impatient on Sat pm and booed Jimmy Spheris off the stage, to hurry the arrival of Lynyrd Skynyrd.  A couple of nice guys took my friend Christy and me for a bike ride on Saturday night, it was then we were all too aware of the fences had been downed, and the amount of people who were there. While on the inside, the enormity of it all was hidden.
On Sunday, the stores weren't selling booze and people were starting to have withdrawls. I traded 1/2 bottle of Southern Comfort for 10 grams of THC, to a guy that really really wanted it!  We left on Sunday, and glad to get back to the clean world...but we knew we had just taken part in the second coolest concert weekend of all time. Trouble?? We never saw it in person. Open sex? We never saw it in person. We just had a fun wkend and enjoyed the BEST bands, BEST sound and the BEST concert we'd ever go to the rest of our lives. I also never was so hot, but being from OK and young I just put up with it. I was used to hot July concerts.  A BIG thank you to Sedalia's residents...citizens, law enforcement, advertisers and to all the little old folks that I'm sure were freaked out by all the hippies in town. We can never make it up to them, but their town didn't shut it down and they put up with more than I would have put up with now!" - Lanette

"i tell people about it and they look at me like i'm making it up. you had to be there to understand. iv'e heard that n.b.c. has it all on film but won't release it. that's a shame i would love to see it." - Russ

"I saw many naked people but the thing I remember most was the stands that looked like the kind that kids would set up for lemonade sales.They had signs advertising the various drugs that they had for sale on top.The music was great and it was the ultimate concert for a Sedalia teenager to witness.I will never forget the festival!!!!! I thought the people attending were treated poorly with many wanting nothing more than food and water.People need to look at both sides of the story." - margaret

"The streets were lined with cars and people living in them.  The weather was steamy hot and ice was being sold for outrageous prices.  We turned our water sprinkler for people to bath in, drink from and get relief from the heat.  We also gave food out to those who needed something to eat.  Besides all of that it was a wonderful experience ... for those who attended and those who had the chance to help out." - Anne (Labahn) Cheffey

"Lots of people camping in yards around the neighborhood. It was really hot so we let people drink from our garden hoses. I drove my mother around the fairgrounds and a guy walked out in front of my car and mooned us. My mother wanted to go home immediately. I still have a couple of Ozark Music Festival pins." - JCline

"The amount of problems were small in comparison to the states inconsiderate treatment of the kids that traveled from the 49 states unaware of the mistakes made by the festivals promoters. The experience was unforgettable, the music from the top groups and the performance they provided in the 110 degree heat." - Anonymous

"We rarely ventured over to the west side of town being that we lived on the east side. There wasn't much on the west side of town then like now. We still shopped downtown, but for some reason made our way to the west side. I remember being at the traffic light at the intersection of 50-65. and traffic was at a stand- still. There was a group of "hippies" sitting on the hood of our Ford Station Wagon and our mom was honking the horn to get them off. That's about all I remember about it." - Scott Jones born 1966 ROCK & ROLL CAN NEVER DIE!!!!

"The stories that came from this festival!" - Flossie born 1974

"The most memorable thing I remember was the lack of clothing, as well as the clouds of pot smoke.  You could not look toward the stage without seeing a haze over the crowd.  There were so many people that you had to keep moving while you were there.  If you stopped, you may get run over.  It was an experience I will never forget." - Wild Willie born 1944

"He said that he had no idea what was happening around him. He still says (at age 53) that it was the most awesome concert ever. My family didn’t know he was there until the college boy came home telling about the concert!
 
My dad spent much of that time taking ice to some of the “campers” on the golf course.  He felt so sorry for the kids because it was so hot and everyone was out of ice.  He and Mom had filled mild jugs with ice and had them in the freezer.  That is what he took to the young people who were dirty, tired, sunburned, and totally broke, having spent their money for tickets that they couldn’t use because there wasn’t room, and for gasoline that was wasted while the traffic was stopped for hours while everyone was trying to get into Sedalia. Dad didn’t sell it to them, as some in Sedalia did; he gave it out of compassion. Those desperate young people made the Country Club Golf Course look like a refugee camp!
 
I had been married for one week and my husband I and had just gotten home for our honeymoon.  We were trying to move furniture across town to our love nest and had to be on the lookout for strange men and women who were jumping into trucks as they went by, trying to get closer to the concert. My husband was angry and thought that all the kids should be arrested….I just kept thinking about how hot, burned, and thirsty they must be, not to mention the ones who were strung out on bad dope.  
 
I’m sure that everyone has a story to tell!! It was an absolutely surreal experience to live here during that weekend!  
 
Thanks for the walk down memory lane." - Ruth

"I was a student at the University of Kansas, and when we got to Sedalia, it was complete gridlock.  Cars were simply stopped in the middle of the road, and there was no movement until the next morning.  The heat that weekend was almost unbearable, and I remember finding an exhibit hall for Pioneer Speakers that was air-conditioned and felt blessed at getting a few minutes of respite from the heat.  

I wish I could say that this was a great experience for me, but it wasn't.  By the time this thing was over, I was more than ready to leave.  The vibe was very bad, I thought.  One memory that sticks in my mind was a group of bikers chasing a single black man.  He scaled a wall and seemed to escape, but I was never sure.  The concerts were also marred by idiots shooting bottle rockets.  Heat, too much acid and pot, naked people all f***** up, tense bikers, sweat, no ice...Jesus, what a mess.  I have the button and a few bad memories, but not much else." - Anonymous

"WELL , INCREDIBLE EXCEPT FOR THE MORONS THAT GOT CARRIED AWAY AND WENT TOO FAR AND LEFT THIS FESTIVAL TO BE REMEMBERED FOR THE BAD INSTEAD OF THE FUN !!  ALL THAT I HAVE READ COVERS EVERYTHING THAT I WOULD HAVE WRITTEN.  P.S.   SORRY FOR THE "ALL CAPS" BUT IT IS MUCH EASIER AND FASTER FOR US OLD FOLK THAT DIDN'T TAKE TYPING.....WHO KNEW COMPUTERS WERE COMING ?!?   AND WE WILL TRY TO COME VISIT YOUR EXHIBIT THIS SUMMER...AND WE WON'T BE HITCHHIKING THIS TIME !!"  JIM IN MUNCIE, IN.

"The horse died about 2 miles from the fair ground's gate and we pushed it the rest of the way and parked it right inside the gate. Anyone remember seeing a brown pinto there?  I remember...umm...being very stoned, and can still picture in my mind a very tall and naked blonde hippie chick leaning against a tree. I can also remember seeing some bands, but not who they were or what songs they were playing." Ol' Hippie

"The "Ozark Music Festival" coming to town, was a eye opening experince for a girl who had just finished her freshman year in a rural Pettis county high school, of only seeing these kind of things on the news. The stench of sweat, unine, alchahol, and drugs in front of Katz, with wall to wall rude people." - Anonymous

"IT WAS THE GREATEST 3 DAYS I'VE EVER SPENT. MAN IT WAS HOT!!!!! WEATHER WISE TOO. NAKED PEOPLE WERE EVERY WHERE THE BANDS WERE GREAT THE PEOPLE WERE GREAT. MY BROTHER RONNIE AND FRIEND JIM WENT INTO TOWN AND BOUGHT ICE AND THEY SOLD IT FROM THE BACK OF THE STATION WAGON TO GET GAS MONEY TO GET HOME ON!" - JANET SISK NEWCOMB

"Wandering around the campgrounds at night, after the music, being continually assaulted by the alarm clock bells from Dark Side of the Moon, which was a new album at the time, couldn't sleep, too wired from all the products of the unregistered pharmacists. We were climbing up the sound towers one of the nights, I didn't get too far up there but my friend -- dozens of my friend from KC were there but I never ran into any of them, just this one guy -- he was way up in the tower, well they started announcing from the stage that everyone would have to get down from the towers or they would shut the music down! And my friend up there was so full of acid that he couldn't move, he kept babbling about snakes climbing up the scaffolding, what a mess. It was an intense moment. I was sure something really bad was about to happen -- people in the crowd were yelling at us and he insisted he couldn't come down with all those snakes there -- eventually they got bored with it and they gave up and the music went back on.

Thanks for this site to tell stories. I went there for the music mostly, but the whole thing was a totality, the big crowd, the 24-hr-a-day party, everyone mooing as we were herded out of the stage area after the shows were done, the dust, the heat, a 300-ring circus, quite the grand time for a 17-year-old wannabe rebel. It was great. Sure there were some annoying things, like the incessant helicopter traffic, and no food or anything to drink -- I managed to get part of an ice-cold quart bottle of Dr. Pepper some late-comer had smuggled in -- it was heavenly. The grocery store was stripped completely bare. They had a sign up: No more than three concert people in the store at a time. I guess they got ripped off blind. That was a persistent problem in the 70's, rip-off artists were everywhere.

IMO Jimmie Spheeris was the best of the whole concert. Stole the show... RIP Jimmie." - KC dude

"I WAS ON DUTY FROM THR. NOON TILL MONDAY NIGHT. THE ONLY FIRE CALL WE ANSWERED ON THE FAIR GOUND WAS LATE ON SUNDAY NIGHT. WE WERE NOT ALLOWED TO ENTER WERE THE FIRE WAS LOCATED AT ON THE INFEILD OF THE RACE TRACK AND WE HAD TO MAKE OUR WAY OUT OF THE FAIR GOUND THRU A LOCKED GATE ON TO LIMIT AVE. AS WE MADE OUR WAY BACK TO THE STATION WE COULD SEE SOMETHING BURNING ON THE INFEILD. WE WERE TOLD TO ALLOW IT TO BURN. ON MONDAY MORN WE ENTER THE GOUNDS WITH A ESCOURT BY THE MO. HIGHWAY P;ATROL. THERE ARE MANY OTHER STORIES THAT I CAN TELL, BUT DONT HAVE TIME. PLANNING ON COMING TO SEDALIA TO SEE THE DISPLAY.  P.S I STILL HAVE A T-SHIRT FROM THE FESTIVAL, IT HAS NOT BE WORN." - BOB HARRELL, CLINTON, MO

"The rumors had hit OSU during our spring semester about it happening in July.........We decided that it would be our "Woodstock" moment.......I just remember it being one of those perfect trips......We had a great time, lots of fun, lots of good music....We camp out....meeting great people........creating great memories. Thanks for doing this......it is a part of my life that when I think about it....brings a smile to my face....and glad I was part of it............" - Michael Witt

I went to the concert and I thought I would take a short cut to the camp grounds (where friends were staying) and I walked through the horse barns where  people hosed me down with water! It was a real wet t-shirt "contest".  I welcomed it since in was sooo hot!  I sure wish I had taken a camera with me to the festival!  I was a drafting clerk at SW Bell Telephone Co.  The guys who were engineers out there came back days later and said we took some great pictures, I couldn't wait to see, and when they brought them in, I really shouldn't have been surprised they were all pictures of naked women!!! -- Lisa F. class of '71!!

"We lived in a subdivison right across the street from the fairgrounds.  Every morning we woke up to people roaming around the neighborhood looking for water and the most awful smells in the air.  Every night we would sit on top of our playhouse and listen to the bands play.  I vividly remember Wolfman Jack's voice introducing the bands.  We drove around the fairgrounds every night and saw some of the craziest stuff.  My mom was an x-ray tech at the hospital and she was on call that weekend.  She saw some pretty crazy stuff also.  My dad picked up a couple of hitchhikers on his way back from Marshall and took them out for lunch.  They were very gracious to my dad.  It was a crazy week in Sedalia and it's definitely a great story to tell to my friends!" - Julie Ryan Lindstrom

"This is just two blocks from the fairgrounds.  I looked out the window and there was kids taking showers with the garden hose in their side yard.  The median of 16th st was full of people camping and they were also camping in my granparents yard.  As a nine year old boy, I learned alot about human anatomy as both men and women were walking around naked.  It was quite a sight actually.  My grandpa was a fireman for the city.  He left for a 24 hour shift on Saturday.  He told my grandma, "Do not let those kids in this house."  As soon as he left, my grandma, being a very good Christian lady, went outside and asked one young girl at a time to come in and take a shower.  She used this opportunity to talk with them about the Lord.  One girl did not know what the concert was going to turn out like and was lost from her friends.  She was scared so my grandma called the girl's parents and got her safely back home.  Grandpa was stationed at the fire station directly across from the fairgrounds on 16th St.  After the concert was over, they had to get all the lingering people out of the fairgrounds so they could prepare for the State Fair which was in a few weeks.  The way I understand it, they had to use the pump truck as sort of a water cannon to get some of the people to leave.  All in all, I'd say as a nine year old, it was a pretty eventful weekend.  One I will never forget." - Chuck Smith

"Its been so long ago, the memories I have of those two days are fading but some still remain. At 17 years of age. Freash out of  High school. An hour drive away from Sedalia. I came with Two friends but soon lost track of them. So much distraction for those young eyes. I later found out they were there but  we never crossed paths once we entered and seperated. For the largest part I tried to concentrate on the music. The heat was stifling. There were so many either passed out from heat , drugs or both. I remember leaving the grounds with some people I met there. They were from Los Angeles, Ca.  We hitched a ride to Flat creek for some welcome relief in the water only to find the creek so full of people doing the same thing that all you could do is wade in and splash yourself with the muddy water.
Ice was in short supply. If you could find it, a 5 lb block or bag was going for $10.00. people walking around naked or maybe just a towel after wetting themselves down with water from the fire hydrants on the grounds .I remember the Dog & Suds drive in (katy BBQ now) windows all broken out and boarded up. The Citizens of Sedalia had a lot to put up with during those few days. I heard that a store (maybe Bings) in the State Fair shopping center was broken into. People would just walk into homes and help themselves to what ever they could find. There are some things you don't forget. Like the Girl that was selling herself for .25 cents. She was doing this to buy drugs for her boyfriend. I remember the helicopters constantly flying over. Or the motorcycle gangs. I believe it was the Banditoes and the Outlaws. One of these gang members had cut a hole in the chain link fence and was letting people go through without buying a ticket. But he had to be paid before letting you in. I rember he was missing one of his hands and had only a hook. He would threaten with this hook if you didn't pay his price. I'm sure at the time I thought I was having fun at the festival but now I realize that it was just one big mess." - Anonymous

"Being 10 years old I remember most of the guys had the long hair and beards and all the girls had more "skin" than I had ever seen in my life." - Craig Guffin

"We were very lucky to get picked up at the entrance to the KS Turnpike by a group of guys in a van that just happened to be going to the Festival!  We shared the gas and food on the way and when we arrived we were asked if we would help them carry one of their coolers full of beer.  We obliged but my friend and I got seperated from the other guys along the long hike into the Missouri Fair Grounds.  Well we ended up with lots of beer but sometime during the concert on the first day we left the cooler and never found it again!  The rest of the concert I remember as being very much like the Woodstock movie.  Nudity, drugs, great music and lots of people!  My friend and I got seperated on the first night and didn't see each other again until the final day.  I can't believe we actually found each other with all of those people!  Much of the concert is somewhat of a blur...very little water, too many drugs, not much sleep and scorching heat all contributed.  We hitchhiked back to Wichita after the concert but we weren't nearly as fortunate as we were on the way there.  Many different rides, lots of walking, badly sunburned and dehydrated I made it home.  What an experience that was for a 17 year old.  I still have my ticket stub and many memories.  I've no remorse for going although my mom was pretty ticked off as she had said "you will not go to that concert young man"!!  We laugh about it today and I'd do it again in a heartbeat...without the drugs this time!" - Tom Louie

"We entered through a hole in the fence. did a little walking around before we crashed for a few hours near campers. After waking we strolled down to the sea of people.music had just started.It  was hot,blue skies.Triphammer was on stage around one p.m. or so. I remamber them pretty well by the way they jammed. Cant remember the bands from the rest of the afternoonI . I was walking around quite a bit.,and by this time i was by myself.Saw a few overdoses.Did not eat much except for a fish sandwich from Dairyqueen.The food store had all beer in the meat section.Had picked up a six pack.Dont remember if it was Hamms or Oldstyle.That lasted pretty much the rest of the day.That night  i found a place back of the sea.Got kind of chilly that night.The rest of the bands i can remember in order were Ted Nugent,Reo Speedwagon, and the last band that night was Lynyrd Skynyrd. Sunday morning had went back to dairyqueen.That got broken into along with quite a few places.A lot of ticked off people.Sunday from  what i remember was also hot. The bands i recall were Jimmy Spheres,The Dirt Band, and someone before  the Marshall Tucker Band that jammed with a solo.Even came back for an encore with a solo.Not sure if it was Elvin Bishop or Charlie Daniels?it would be nice to se the correct lineups if anyone remembers. That was pretty much it.I was'nt stoned so there still is alot more to tell but i wont go into that.Would be too much writing. It was a good time with excellant music.If Pettis County wants to make up for the loss they should sell copies of the festival that was confiscated.This is too much music that should pass away.Someone would have to convince the courts,if the tapes are still around. Anyway its been my pleasure. Dont have any pictures to post. GOD BLESS YOU..." - Rick Z.

"We had tickets to the event but by the time we got their, parking inside the gates was gone so we pulled the Monte Caro up on a curb at the Kmart parking lot across the street from the fairgrounds and slept under it for three days. It was so d--- hot but we really didn't care all that much. Just meant fewer clothes for the young ladies. One of the most memorable aspects of the trip were the co-ed showers at the fairgrounds. We four dudes were in heaven!  

Somehow, we hooked up with some bikers from Alabama who took us under the their wing and let us occupy some space in the center of the crowd about 100 ft from the stage. They showed us a few new things on how to "party" and we were grateful it put is in the right mood for the show that night. They told us about this band we had to see from the South that they had seen in Mobile. Being a fan of the Allman Bros., this sounded like something right up my alley. Let's just say when they dropped the huge Stars and Bars flag behind the band and the organ riff started for "Free Bird" we were fans of Skynyrd for life.  The Eagles and BTO were great but the guitar solo that night with 150k of our closest  friends was truly a life changing experience. To this day, hearing that organ riff still sends chills up my back. Long live Skynyrd!" - JLE

"I can, to this day, hear the sounds of Joe Walsh (or was it the Eagles? Maybe Marshall Tucker)  playing as we made our way into the fairground along with the huge line of cars. We spent most of Friday night listening to music from afar as we hunted up friends in the parking areas. Saturday was the most amazing, incredible day. After sleeping four in a midsize Chevy I woke early and went looking around. I saw many of the things spoken about in various accounts of the festival. My most vivid memories were of the casual drug selling, the price lists and announcements about bad drugs and the enormous number of people. As day moved towards evening one of my friends and I made our way to the stage area where we staked out a spot to get as high as possible and listen to some great music. Though I have not seen them listed on any of the performer lists I think that Iron Butterfly played on Saturday night because my drug addled memory seems to play In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida when I recall that wonderful night. My brother-in-law and his girl friend decided to driver home Saturday night so my other buddy and I ended up having to hitch home on Sunday. We were fortunate to bet a ride fairly quickly as we headed up US65 from a guy and his family headed back to Kansas City from the Lake of the Ozarks. Of course we were more than a little worried when he got pulled over by the Mo Highway Patrol, for speeding and weaving in and out of traffic, considering the amount of newly purchased drugs we were transporting home. Luckily the officer had only a warning for our driver and sent us all on our way. When we got nearer to home we saw a bank temperature sign that read 107 to give an indication of just how hot the weekend was. After twenty five years I still look back at the music festival as an incredible adventure in the music and culture of the 70s." - Dave Yazell

"My husband,myself,my sister and cousin all attended the Festival in Sedalia.  Something that is not easy to describe, it was totally far far bigger and better than we had expected, despite the over l00 degree temperatures those days..We met some wonderful people from all over the US and Canada, and were so blessed to see great musicians like Lynard Skynard, Bob Seger, Eagles, and others. It was a 3 days and nights event we will never forget. That festival definitely put the State of Missouri on even the world news. We ordered our tickets from Rollin' Stone magazine and had one spare one which we could never sell or give away as people were just breaking down the fences and going on in to the grounds. We never saw any violence while there, but we did see all the drugs floating around....our reason for going was to hear the awesome music which we did and we just kept to ourselves." - Country folk from the great State of Missouri

"my boyfrind back then was attending mo valley college and was from new york. several of his friends from back east came and stayed with us and we all went together. they had actually heard about it out there and told us about it. wonderful memories!!" - Linda Moore

"The approaching summer held all kinds of promise, living in Sedalia there was little said about the music festival that was about to turn Sedalia on its head untill a couple of hunderd thousand showed seemingly overnight. The first area to fill past capacity was the west campgrounds, yes there were some animals killed for a rather primitive BBQ,there were disturbance calls to police and the highway patrol tried to make some arrests, they lost two patrol cars, for some reason that was the last police presence on the fairgrounds for most of the festival.
Then the traffic,endless lines of cars,vans,and old busses it did not take long for all the roads leading to Sedalia to become totally inpassable. Cars were parked along the highway and in  the highway for about 10 miles, party goers just gave up and walked.
My friends and I did not have tickets but midway through the second day they were not necessary anyway,there were so many holes in the fence you just had to pick one and join the party. Yes it was extreamly hot and of course clothing became optional, quite the eye opener. and we havent even gone 200 yards into the fairgrounds.
Most of the vender stands that are on the grounds year round were open, broken into in fact, were doing a very good business but not selling hotdogs and beer like during the fair but their shelves were lined with bags of pot,acid,hash,and just about any other drug you could think of .
After stoping at several and sampling some of their wares, for some reason things get kind of fuzzy after that, wonder why ?
Did get to watch a few bands perform, and a few couples having sex in whatever shady spot they could find. Saw a lot dont remember much.
It seemed to leave town about as fast as it arrived, after all that the rest of the summer was kind of boreing,however would do it all again.  Peace" - A Sedalia Resident

"and myself and best friend made money. about a week before I had a 1954 Ford Pick-up amd him and i would drive to I-70 and pick up people and bring them to Sedalia for a dollar a Head, and go back for some more.Went inside on Saturaday, seen Joe Walsh, Eagles, REO Speedwagon, Lots more. Saturady Night parked in the middle of 65 highway facing south selling beer out of the back of my truck until all gone, did'nt take to long. Can'l remember what sell price was. I think $10.00 case. had funfunfun. I know the town and stores were not happy at all. Some damage acurred. A time of my life I will never forget."  - A Sedalia Resident Than and Now