In 1969, a three-day festival that drew almost 200,000 fans of rock, folk and blues music descended upon Northridge when California State University, Northridge (CSUN) was then San Fernando Valley State College. Concert performers included Jimi Hendrix, Joe Cocker, Jethro Tull, Ike & Tina Turner, Three Dog Night and many others. This significant San Fernando Valley event, the precursor to Woodstock, was unfortunately overshadowed by other artistic, political and social events of that historical summer. This event was the Newport ’69 Pop Festival at Devonshire Downs.
In remembrance of this festival and in honor of its 50th anniversary, The Museum of the San Fernando Valley, the San Fernando Valley Arts & Cultural Center and CSUN are hosting a project which will include an exhibition of photos, artifacts and oral histories of the time and event, as well as a possible concert and pre-concert events.
The Museum is asking for photographs, videos, and/or artifacts of or from the Newport ’69 Pop Festival at Devonshire Downs or stories of individuals who attended the event to contribute their memoribilia for a comprehensive exhibit for the public. For this project, those who attended this concert are being sought to participate in The Museum’s oral history program by documenting their story on video.
To contribute photos, artifacts or contacts from this historic concert, contact: The Museum of the San Fernando Valley Vice President, Jackie Langa, Jackie.Langa@themuseumsfv.org (818) 347-9665