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This silent film by Robert Blunk Jr. documents the Pittsburg Peace Festival, otherwise known as the Kansas Woodstock, or Cornstalk. The rock music festival took place over Labor Day weekend (September 4-7) in 1970 southeast of Pittsburg, Kansas, in northern Cherokee County. Strangely, the film states the event took place in October of that year. Locals Kenny Ossana and Fulton Wilhelm organized the festival after being inspired by the Woodstock Music and Art Fair held in Woodstock, New York, the previous year. Featured bands included "Jerry Hahn and the Brotherhood" from San Francisco, California, and an early incarnation of the band "Kansas" from Topeka. The film includes only a very brief clip of a performing band. The majority of the film documents the festival organizers, attendees, vendors, and clean up. The festival sparked outrage over illicit drug use and may have influenced the 1970 state and local elections.
Creator: Blunk, Robert Jr.
Date: September 1970
Item Number: 222527
Call Number: 2007-325.01
KSHS Identifier: DaRT ID: 222527
Collections - Audio-visual
Community Life - Arts and Entertainment - Music
Community Life - Events and Celebrations - Festivals
Date - 1970s - 1970
Government and Politics - Reform and Protest - Peace
Military - Wars - Vietnam War
Objects and Artifacts - Communication Artifacts - Documentary Artifact - Film
Places - Counties - Cherokee
Thematic Time Period - The Sixties and Vietnam, 1961 - 1975
Transportation - Automobiles
Transportation - Motorcycles
Type of Material - Film and video
http://www.kansasmemory.org/item/222527