6. Bethel
Bethel is the home of the 1969 Woodstock Music Festival, so if anyone is looking for a “weekend of peace and music” this is the place to be. Where once the iconic festival took place, now the open fields are part of the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, where many other music festivals are still held. The original festival has a memorial located on the plot of land where it once took place that is open to be visited by the public. Also located in Bethel is the Bethel Woods Museum which commemorates Woodstock and gives visitors an idea of what it would have been like to attend the iconic festival.
Outside the site of Woodstock, the town of Bethel retains its artsy legacy with many colorful bars and hippie-themed shops including the Woodstock Oasis convenience store, where you may even have a chance to get a hamburger with a peace sign pressed into the bun. With its exciting history and colorful influence, Bethel clocks in as the largest town on the list regarding population with a whopping 4,255 residents according to the 2010 census.
Next, check out these must-visit places in the Catskills and find out how you can ride an abandoned railroad track in the Catskill Mountains on a bike!