Things to Do in Bethel, NY Before or After a Show

People planning things to do in Bethel NY usually start with the show, and for good reason: Bethel Woods Center for the Arts sits on the grounds where the 1969 festival is remembered, and the campus has more going on than the main concerts. This guide collects the activities that official sources describe, from the Museum and seasonal festivals to a lake with a DEC boat launch and a trail of painted doves. We only list what we could confirm on official pages, with the date we last checked, and we leave out hours and prices unless a page states them. bethelnyhotels.com is an independent local guide and is not affiliated with Bethel Woods Center for the Arts.

Last checked 2026-10-08.

Start at the venue: the Museum at Bethel Woods

The Museum at Bethel Woods is on the same campus as the concert venue, at 200 Hurd Rd, Bethel, NY 12720. Its page describes sections on Woodstock history, current exhibits, preservation work and guided tours. The posted hours are open daily from April 1 through December 31, 10 AM to 5 PM, and the page says hours may vary on show days.

Tickets are for a specific date rather than a time, so you may arrive at any point that day. Advance tickets cost less than day-of tickets, and the posted advance prices include $20 for adults, $5 for youth ages 6 to 17, and free for children 5 and under. A concert discount ticket and a Sullivan County resident price are also listed. Prices change, so check the page before you go. Golf cart tours run May through October, according to the page's FAQ.

We cannot tell you what is in any given exhibit, because the page does not describe them, and we do not know whether the Museum is open from January through March. If you are traveling in winter, call or check the page first.

Seasonal events on the grounds

The venue's festivals page lists four seasonal events for 2026. Harvest Festival ran on Sundays from 11 AM to 4 PM, August 30 to October 4, and described local farms, artisan vendors, live music, food trucks and family activities. Peace, Love & Pumpkins runs October 9 to November 1 and is described as a walk-through Halloween experience with hand-carved jack-o-lanterns. Peace, Love & Lights runs November 27 to January 2 and is described as drive-through light displays across the Bethel Woods grounds, with a drone light show on select nights. BuildFest: Art & Architecture ran September 9 to 13.

Those are the 2026 dates. The page does not publish 2027 dates, ticket prices or nightly hours, so check the official events calendar for the season you plan to visit. The calendar also lists classes, workshops and special dinners that are not concerts.

The Dove Trail

The Sullivan Catskills Visitors Association started the Sullivan County Dove Trail in 2019, for the 50th anniversary of the 1969 festival. It is a set of hand-painted fiberglass dove sculptures placed at businesses, organizations and public sites around the county, and the page says the trail now features 85 sculptures. In the town of Bethel, the sites it names include Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, Hector's Inn and the Town Hall on State Route 55 in White Lake.

Some sculptures are marked under maintenance, so the list can change. If you want to build a short outing around finding the doves, start with the official page and check it before you set out.

White Lake

White Lake is in the Hamlet of White Lake in the Town of Bethel, and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation lists it as a place to fish. DEC says the lake is stocked every spring with brown trout and lake trout, and lists largemouth and smallmouth bass, chain pickerel and panfish among the species. DEC lists a hard-surface boat launch with parking for 24 cars and trailers, reached from Route 17B and White Lake Road (County Route 55). Statewide fishing regulations apply.

The DEC page does not mention swimming, paddling or camping at the lake, and it lists no fees, hours or lake-specific rules, so we do not say anything about them here.

Town parks and trails

The Town of Bethel's visitor page lists a Town Pool and Park, Lake Superior Park, the Bethel Heritage Trail, a Forest Reserve, a Town Dog Park and a Farmers and Makers Market in Kauneonga Lake. It also links to a Town of Bethel Visitor Map and to the Sullivan County Visitor's Guide. The page does not give hours, fees or directions for these places, so use the town's links for details before you plan around any of them.

Camping on the venue grounds

If you want the show to be your only travel day, the venue runs its own campground, open May through October, with glamping, RV sites, tent-only and car and tent camping. Pavilion Camping is on the venue grounds, and the camping page describes it as a walk of five minutes or less to the Pavilion stage or the Museum. Our camping page has the details and the booking link.

Planning a weekend

A weekend around a show can be as simple as one night of music and one morning at the Museum. Check the venue's calendar for your date, then add one or two things from this page that fit the season. The 2026 calendar shows Harvest Festival and Peace, Love & Pumpkins in the fall and Peace, Love & Lights from late November into January, and DEC says White Lake is stocked with trout every spring. If you are traveling with children or a dog, scan the town's visitor page first, since it lists a dog park and a pool and park alongside the trails.

Keep your plans loose enough to absorb the unknowns. The venue does not publish drive times to its lots, so allow extra time between activities and use a map app for the day you travel.

What the official pages do not say

The pages we used do not give hours or fees for the town's parks and trails, 2027 festival dates, ticket prices for the festivals, or swimming and paddling rules at White Lake. They also do not name official partner hotels or restaurants. We do not fill those gaps with guesses.

Quick answers

What is there to do in Bethel NY besides concerts? The Museum at Bethel Woods, seasonal festivals on the venue grounds, the Dove Trail, fishing at White Lake and the town's parks and trails are all described on official pages.

Is the Museum open every day? The posted hours are daily from April 1 through December 31, 10 AM to 5 PM, with hours that may vary on show days.

Can I fish at White Lake? DEC lists it as a place to fish, with a boat launch and statewide regulations.

What is the Dove Trail? A county-wide set of hand-painted dove sculptures that honors the 1969 festival and was started in 2019.

Where do I find 2027 event dates? On the venue's official events calendar, once they are published.

Last checked 2026-10-08.