Showboat's Garden Pier to Debut as Event Venue During Rewind '69 Festival

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — A long-dormant section of the Atlantic City Boardwalk is preparing to welcome visitors once again as Showboat's Garden Pier hosts what organizers say will be its first major public event following ongoing renovations.

The Rewind '69 Music Festival, scheduled for Aug. 14-16, will celebrate the music and culture of Woodstock while marking a new chapter for the historic oceanfront venue.

Festival Director Kelly McLaughlin said organizers have spent years bringing the project to life and are thrilled to be among the first to showcase the revitalized pier.

"This is a big deal for us," McLaughlin said during an appearance on WOND's Off The Press with Scott Cronick. "We've been putting this together for years."

The three-day festival will be held at Garden Pier, located adjacent to Showboat Resort Atlantic City.

"It's called the Garden Pier. It's right off of the Boardwalk," McLaughlin said. "It's undergoing construction right now, so literally we are going to be the first festival to step foot in the new construction."

Cronick noted that the festival could become the first official event held at the newly renovated venue.

"Yeah," McLaughlin replied.

The festival coincides with the anniversary of the original Woodstock Music & Art Fair and features tribute performances honoring legendary artists who performed during the iconic 1969 event.

Among the acts scheduled to appear are tributes to Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Santana, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Sly & the Family Stone, The Grateful Dead and The Who.

McLaughlin said the festival grew from a passion project that began nearly a decade ago.

"In 2017, me and a really good friend of mine... started out with one band, and it was a Jimi Hendrix tribute band," she said. "From there, it just grew from one tribute act, and now we have over 40 different tribute acts that we book on a rotation."

She said organizers have toured the country with tribute performances before deciding to recreate the Woodstock experience in Atlantic City.

"We literally have enough tribute bands to recreate Woodstock, and that's what we're doing."

McLaughlin said her fascination with Woodstock dates back decades.

"I am absolutely obsessed with Woodstock," she said. "I love Woodstock. I love the atmosphere. I love the togetherness, the peace that they brought. Woodstock defined a generation."

She said the festival is intended to recreate not only the music but also the spirit of the era.

"We're trying to bring back that exact moment in time," McLaughlin said. "I think the world needs a little bit of peace, love and rock and roll in it tonight."

Beyond the music, organizers are planning food vendors, artisan booths, vintage-inspired activities and opportunities for attendees to embrace the 1960s theme.

"We have all kinds of vendors coming out. We have food trucks. It's kid-friendly, so bring your kids out," McLaughlin said.

Festival-goers are encouraged to embrace the era by dressing in 1960s-inspired clothing.

"We invite it," McLaughlin said. "We want you to come out looking like you just walked out of Woodstock."

Among the festival's unique features will be a white picket fence where attendees can leave signatures and messages.

"We're going to have everybody sign it," McLaughlin said, adding that Showboat hopes to preserve it as an exhibit after the festival.

A Saturday evening after-party is also planned inside Island Waterpark at Showboat following the day's final performance.

McLaughlin said organizers intentionally priced tickets to make the event accessible.

"We're offering a three-day pass for $69," she said. "With the economy, we're trying to give a little bit of a deal out there for some people."

While this year's festival marks the debut, organizers already have their sights set on the future.

"Yes, we are," McLaughlin said when asked if she hopes to make Rewind '69 an annual event. "The good thing is that I can rewind anything. We copyrighted and trademarked the word 'Rewind.' I can do old-school country... I can do R&B. I can literally rewind anything right now, and it's all about sharing the memories that people want to revisit again."

Cronick praised the scope of the undertaking, noting the amount of work required to organize an event of that size.

"It's a lot of work," he said. "All the food, all the vendors, all the bands and all that kind of stuff."

McLaughlin acknowledged the effort has been emotional.

"It is," she said. "And it's very emotional too because it's something that I hold dear to me."

If successful, the festival could serve not only as a celebration of one of music's most iconic weekends, but also as a significant milestone in the return of Garden Pier as one of Atlantic City's newest entertainment venues.

Off The Press with Scott Cronick airs weekday afternoons from 4 to 6 on News Talk 1400 & 92.3 WOND.