Bullfrog Lake Music Festival
Oregon City, Oregon
July 4, 5, and 6, 1969
1969 festival #22
Yet another!
The more I look, the more I run into when it comes to 1969 festivals and here is another one, albeit, a small one even by small standards.
Jefferson Airplane headline
This festival’s site was on private land at Bullfrog Lake Trailer Park about 20 miles south of Portland. Jefferson Airplane was the main band. They play on July 6.
Another band was the Sons of Champlin/Winterland, 1975:
Ace of Cups
…the Ace of Cups
The Ace of Cups were one of the first all-female rock bands. The members were Mary Gannon (bass), Marla Hunt (organ, piano), Denise Kaufman (guitar, harmonica), Mary Ellen Simpson (lead guitar), and Diane Vitalich (drums). All but Vitalich sang lead and all five sang backup. Songwriting, too, was shared.
Bullfrog Lake Music Festival
Many more
Family Tree may have been a Caribbean band and if so this may be an example of them. It’s nice stuff…similar to Santana.
Plus the Portland Electric Zoo Band, Mixed Blood, and other local bands.
Silent film
It wasn’t recorded nor filmed professionally, but below is a silent super-8 film from the event.
While not big by festival standards, it was apparently successful enough to inspire organizers to hold a second Bull Frog festival that same summer. It ran into a few issues and locals cancelled it, but from its ashes that same weekend Bull Frog 3 rose.
Bullfrog Lake Music Festival
Next 1969 festival: Spectrum Summer Music Festival
Bullfrog I happened in Oregon City, NOT Estacada!
Vortex happened at a Forest Park near Estacada, but Bull Frog Lake is NOWHERE NEAR Estacada!
Fixed. Thanks, but you don’t have to SHOUT!!!
I was born 3-23-69. In Oregon City just a few miles from Bullfrog.. And although I didnt attend.. I have 2 brothers who are 17 and 24 yrs older and they both attended.. So ive heard of this my whole life, when i was between the ages of 9-12 I did go out to Bullfrog skeet shooting and target practice … Today was the first time ive ever seen the video clip or posters. Way cool..
Thanks for sharing. Perhaps your brothers might have some memories they’d like to share?
You made me laugh. Thank you for this page BTW, I was there with my brother and a couple friends. it was fantastic.
Where exactly was Bullfrog Lake?
Vortex was held in 1970 at Milo Mciver State Park
As the post explains, This festival’s site was on private land at Bullfrog Lake Trailer Park about 20 miles south of Portland.
My wife was 10 in 1969 and her grandfather, George Thomas, owned the auto wrecking yard just east of Bullfrog Park. She has fond memories of laying on the roof listening to the concert with her cousin. I lived in SE Portland at the time, but moved to Redland in 1970. I will never forget the endless lines of cars parked along Springwater Rd, stretching several miles through Carver. Riding in my parents vehicle on Hattan Rd., I saw “hippies” walking along the road with a deer. If a wild black-tail deer was chilling with them, they really must be peaceful and loving. Made me a liberal for life.
Although I referenced Bullfrog, relating my Wife’s recollection, my observation of young concert-goers was related to Vortex at McIver Park. (love that place)
Thanks for sharing. First hand accounts are always worthwhile.
A teacher I worked with years ago told me an incredible story about the Bullfrog Lake show. He said everyone was pretty high on this or that, and it was a set break, and then all of a sudden, with no intro or no “Hello!!”, Jefferson Airplane had quietly taken the state, and then BLAM, a wall of sound just blasted the entire crowd, like a sonic boom that jolted everyone and plastered them back wide eyed and a bit in shock. And this went on for minutes. And then they stopped. And just stood and looked at the crowd without speaking. And everyone was shocked and just didn’t know how to react, so it was quiet. Real quiet, the band, the people, all just staring at each other. Then, amid this moment, the frogs in Bullfrog Lake started croaking really loudly, and that interruption in the moment snapped people out of their stupor, and he said the place erupted into wild uproarious applause for the Airplane. And then the rock n’ roll commenced…. I’ll never forget that story.
Thanks for sharing the story. Always like new perspectives.
In August Bullfrog I and II were held in St Helens and Yankton , OR . III was held on my husband’s Al Pelletier, family farm after Columbia County refused II to be presented at the fairgrounds.
Love this internet thing. Thanks for your personal account.
Bullfrog Lake is now part of a gated community. My wife and I play as an acoustic duo and we played a neighborhood “happy hour” there last month. One of the people there showed us where the original stage was set up, which wasn’t too far from where we played. I didn’t think to take any pictures but we may be playing there again this month. If we do, I’ll be sure to take some pictures and share them.
That would be great. Thanks.
I have this poster. I collect NW show posters…. Have two Sky River, Seattle Pop, The Grand Ear Massage and Art Fair (Idaho) and a 17 foot banner from Satsop.
Do you have a picture of the Grand Ear Massage and Art Fair? I did the first aid there… Lot’s of acid….
Sorry no, but tell us that story.
I went to Bullfrog and to Vortex. Enjoyed Bullfrog more; better vibes, better bands. Recall Sons of Champlain played at about sunset, then–it seemed like 2am–the Airplane began. With a stage over the water and people wading and swimming in it, it was a surreal scene. Owsley products were there. The ground was spongy due to recent rain, which enhanced the tripping for many. At Vortex, my friend swore he watched National Guard troops bringing in kilo packages of Marijuana via helicopter for the crowd, courtesy of Gov. Tom McCall, he believed, and some evidence supports this.