Vortex I facts for kids

Vortex I: A Biodegradable Festival of Life, often called just Vortex I, was a week-long rock festival held in Oregon in 1970. It was special because the state of Oregon helped organize it. The festival took place in Clackamas County, close to Portland. Its main goal was to show the good side of the anti-war movement. It also aimed to prevent big protests when President Richard Nixon visited Oregon. Vortex I is still the only rock festival ever sponsored by a state government in U.S. history.

Why Vortex I Happened

In 1970, President Nixon planned to visit Portland, Oregon. He was going to speak at a meeting for the American Legion. This visit was meant to support the Vietnam War. Many groups in Portland were against the war. They formed a group called the People's Army Jamboree. They planned many protests and activities against the war. These would happen at the same time as Nixon's visit.

Police and other officials were worried about violence. An FBI report even suggested that 25,000 Legionnaires and 50,000 anti-war protesters might gather. They feared the situation could become very bad, like the protests in Chicago in 1968.

To avoid trouble, different groups in Portland came together. They wanted to show the positive side of the peace movement. A Christian peace group, Koinonia House, held a public meeting. From this meeting, the idea for "Vortex 1: A Biodegradable Festival of Life" was born. People like Mike Carr and Lee Meier helped start the talks with state officials.

Oregon Governor Tom McCall wanted to keep the peace. He listened to his staff and the Vortex volunteers. He agreed to let the rock festival happen in a state park. It would take place at the same time as Nixon's visit. The governor also agreed that police would mostly ignore minor rule-breaking at the festival. This was a way to prevent bigger problems.

What Happened at Vortex I

Milo McIver State Park, where the Vortex I festival took place.

The festival ran from August 28 to September 3, 1970. This was the same time as the American Legion meeting. Between 30,000 and 100,000 people came to the event. It was held at Milo McIver State Park, near Estacada. There was no charge to get in, so no one counted how many people attended. On the busiest day, cars lined up for about 18 miles from the park gates.

As agreed with the governor, police and the Oregon National Guard mostly let small rule-breaking go unnoticed. This helped keep the peace.

Most of the music at the festival came from local bands. Oregon groups like Brown Sugar, Jacob's Ladder, and Portland Zu performed. News reports had said famous national bands like Santana and Jefferson Airplane would play. But they did not come. However, some well-known artists did perform. These included blues musician Charlie Musselwhite and soul singer Gene Chandler. Even Ginger Baker from the band Cream visited, but he didn't play. This did not stop the attendees from having a great time.

The Vortex 1 festival had two main areas. The first area was on higher ground in McIver Park. It had a huge stage built from large Oregon timbers. The second area was by the Clackamas River. This was a large camping area. Many community groups from Portland helped run the festival. Food co-ops gave free food to thousands of people. Community health clinics provided medical care. Volunteers helped park cars. Local rock and roll venues helped with the stage. Yoga groups held classes, and peace groups led discussions. It was truly a community event, not focused on making money. The people who later started the Rainbow Gatherings got their name, Rainbow Family, while working at Vortex I.

What Happened After Vortex I

The festival worked as planned, partly because President Nixon canceled his visit at the last minute. Both the American Legion meeting and the anti-war activities went smoothly. There were no major problems. Many people thought the concert was a great way to prevent violence. There was no fighting among people. Damage to property in Portland was very small, just one broken window. Governor McCall won his re-election easily that November.

Because the event was not about making money, and most performers were local, the news didn't focus on the music. Instead, they wrote about the political reasons for the festival. Still, Vortex I was one of the biggest rock and roll festivals of its time.