SAUGERTIES, N.Y. — Located in the foothills of the Catskill Mountains, this town of 18,000 is not far from where, once upon a time, Rip Van Winkle took a very long nap. Now Saugerties and the rest of the Hudson River Valley are braced for the reawakening of an equally colorful visitor--the Woodstock Music and Arts Fair--and on one recent night, locals filled the town's Senior Citizens Center to debate whether Woodstock Ventures should be permitted to reprise the watershed festival at a nearby farm.

After the Pledge of Allegiance, people stepped up to a microphone to address the town board, concert promoter Michael Lang and a standing-room-only crowd of more than 300.

John Hall, leader of the rock group Orleans, was the first to speak. Hall, who has lived in Saugerties for more than 20 years, recently served as a county legislator, a political activity prompted by his opposition to a proposal to locate Ulster County's megadump at Winston Farm, the proposed site of Woodstock '94.

"I understand the trepidation of anyone who fears the arrival of so many people," said Hall, referring to the 250,000 rock fans guaranteed to flock to the silver anniversary event on Aug. 13 and 14. "In my opinion, however, it is vastly preferable to having a megadump with 200,000 tons of garbage a year arriving on that site for the next 20 years."

Thaddeus Dragula, a local Baptist preacher, begged to differ. "What's worse," he said, "a megadump that pollutes the water or a concert that pollutes our youth?"

Dragula was cheered by a contingent of retirees, conservative Christians and other foes of the festival who sat together at long tables toward the back of the room. While most speakers supported the fest, with many citing the financial boost it would give the beleaguered local economy, opponents called on the board to reject what they see as a Faustian bargain that would open their town to the social equivalent of a plague of locusts.

Keri Sorrin, a 17-year-old high school student whose hair was streaked pink and green, wasn't particularly worried.

"As far as our morals are concerned, they're already screwed up," she said. "Maybe the festival can get us back on the right track."