Beatles festival to celebrate 50th anniversary of Sgt. Pepper album

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Beatles festival to celebrate 50th anniversary of Sgt. Pepper album
Gretchen Hunt 
Editor
The Times Dispatch
Thursday, 13th July 2017

This year's Beatles at the Ridge Festival, set for Sept. 15-16 in downtown Walnut Ridge, will mark the 50th anniversary of the release of the Sgt. Pepper album.

Branson's Liverpool Legends will again headline the music festival, which is free to all to attend. They are scheduled to take the stage on Saturday, Sept. 16, at 7:30 p.m.

Other music performances on that Friday evening and Saturday will include: Deadwood Groove, Sonny Burgess and the Legendary Pacers, Jeffrey and the Pacemakers and Riverbilly.

The festival also features the renowned Artists and Authors Symposium, which brings in Beatles experts and enthusiasts from across the country. Doors will open Friday, Sept. 15, at 2 p.m. at The Studio, located on Main Street, and the official kickoff for the festival will be a "John Lennon" concert by Alan Bernhoft at 3:30 p.m.

Featured authors will be Bruce Spicer and Jude Southerland Kessler, both of whom have written numerous books on The Beatles and are featured speakers at the Fest for Beatles Fans in New York and Chicago. Featured artist for the Symposium is Enoch Doyle Jeter, artist in residence at the University of Louisiana, Monroe.

A book release party for Spicer's "The Beatles and Sgt. Pepper: A Fan's Perspective" will be held as part of the Friday evening activities, and Dr. Ken Womack will be featured on Saturday as he releases his new book "Maximum Volume: The Life of Beatles Producer George Martin."

Contests, activities and a variety of vendors will round out the two-day event. A full schedule of events, including other performers, artists and authors who will be featured at the festival, can be found at beatlesattheridge.com.




2017 LINEUP

Friday
Sonny Burgess & The Legendary Pacers
Deadwood Groove

Saturday
Liverpool Legends
Riverbilly
Jeffrey & The Pacemakers
Arkansas Brothers
Sommer and the Young’ins




www.beatlesattheridge.com

History

A quiet night in 1964 was interrupted by the unusual sound of an airliner approaching Walnut Ridge Airport. Its arrival sparked enough interest that three local teens went to investigate, only to discover John, Paul, Ringo, and George walking from the plane. The Beatles, the biggest rock band in the world, had arrived at Walnut Ridge, Arkansas.

After performing in Dallas on that Friday evening, September 18th, the Beatles were headed to a weekend vacation at Pigman Ranch, a dude ranch near Alton, Mo. The ranch was owned by Reed Pigman, Sr., who operated the charter airline on which they flew.

Walnut Ridge had the closest airport that could accommodate such a large plan, so plans were for the group to land there secretly and then depart the following Sunday, also secretly. But the secret didn’t last.

Word spread quickly around the town, especially among teens who, like the rest of the country, were in the throes of Beatle-mania. A crowd of several hundred was gathered at the airport by Sunday morning, September 20th, to greet the Beatles. Sure enough, they arrived, John and Ringo in a small plane and Paul and George in a GMC Suburban from Pigman Ranch.

There were a few hands shaken and autographs given as the Fab Four walked through the Walnut Ridge crowd, and then the Beatles settled into their seats for the flight to New York City, where they would conclude their first American tour.

The stopover at Walnut Ridge was but a footnote in the history of the legendary band, but it was much more than that for the community that had a surprise encounter with the one and only Beatles. Lasting memories were made in that brief visit.

Ringo in the crowd at Walnut Ridge, Arkansas

Neil Aspenall, road manager getting out of Suburban and Curt Gunthner the photographer for the tour.

John and Ringo walking to the plane