Not held in Atlanta, but a lot of Atlantans attended. This was like Monterey in having all genres of music to broaden the audience’s taste and introduce new acts. This ended 1968 with a roar!

On December 28-30, 1968, Gulfstream Park outside Miami hosted the Miami Pop Festival, post-Monterey and pre-Woodstock. The festival drew 100,000 fans over three beautiful winter days, and featured many seminal acts of the time:

The Grateful Dead (Free download http://www.archive.org/details/gd68-12-29.sbd.cotsman.5425.sbeok.shnf), Chuck Berry, Marvin Gaye, Joni Mitchell, Richie Havens, Steppenwolf, Procol Harum, Country Joe and the Fish, Canned Heat, the Turtles, and Three Dog Night were among the fourteen daily acts that appeared on two stages -- one at the grandstand and the other near the south end of the park -- for the price of seven dollars per day.

According to Rolling Stone (February 1, 1969), the festival was "a monumental success in almost every aspect, the first significant -- and truly festive -- international pop festival held on the East Coast." Woodstock, of course, took place in 1969, and Hallandale city officials, horrified by visions of stoned hippies dancing naked at Gulfstream, nixed plans for a second Miami Pop Festival.

Courtesy of Bill Howell

Listen to Alex Cooley on how this was directly connected to Atlanta’s Pop Festivals....