Near The Beginning: 50 years Nov 25th 1965 - Nov 25th 2025.
By varying accounts, the original Pranksters included
Ken “Intrepid Traveler” Babbs
Carolyn “Mountain Girl” Adams
Ron “Hassler” Bevirt
Page “Zealot” Browning
Jane “Generally Famished” Burton
Neal “Speed Limit” Cassady
Mike “Camera Man” Hagen
Denise “Mary Microgram” Kaufmann
Paula “Gretchen Fetchin” Sundsten
George “Hardly Visible” Walker
Sandy “Dis-Mount” Lehmann-Haupt
Kathy “Stark Naked” Casano
John “Sometimes Missing” Babbs
Steve “Zonker” Lambrecht
A LOOK BACK - Mountain Girl (from top left), Lee Quarnstrom, Ken Babbs (far right) and Jamie Cassady (lower left) join other Merry Pranksters at a reunion in an undated photo
The first Acid Test, a party involving music, psychedelic effects, and LSD, was held in Soquel, California, on November 27, 1965, at Ken Babbs' house. While some accounts suggest it took place on Halloween, the 27th is the date supported by a flyer. The Warlocks, who would later become the Grateful Dead, played as the musical act. These parties, organized by Ken Kesey and the Merry Pranksters, were known for their experimental and immersive psychedelic atmosphere.