WALNUT RIDGE, Ark. (KAIT/Edited News Release) – Live music, food and vendors, children’s attractions, a car show, and more are on tap at the annual Beatles at the Ridge music festival on Saturday, Sept. 21, in Downtown Walnut Ridge.
The award-winning festival is free to attend. It draws thousands of visitors each year to commemorate the Beatles’ 1964 visit to the Walnut Ridge Airport.
The Liverpool Legends, a Beatles tribute band from Branson, Missouri, will once again headline the festival. The band will take the Cavenaugh Chevrolet Rock n’ Roll Highway Stage at 7 p.m., and several other acts will precede them, performing throughout the day.
The local duo of Tony Spinner and Ben Brand will open at 1 p.m. with their unique blend of rock and blues. Singer-songwriter Derrick Brandon performs at 3 p.m. He will be followed by Memphis Jones with his All Memphis Music Review at 5 p.m. Jones is a featured act at BB King’s Blues Club on Beale Street, where he performs a history of Memphis music.
In addition, KASU Radio will present the Arkansas Roots Stage at Beatles Park on Abbey Road. The schedule on that stage includes the Bebop Beatniks at 1 p.m., Doug Butler at 2 p.m., the Spencer Brothers at 3 p.m., Mike McLeod at 4 p.m., and Anna and the Tanks at 5 p.m.
“We have a great musical lineup on both sides of Main Street,” said Peyton Tillman, chair of the festival committee. “We have some amazing performers who will present a broad tapestry of musical styles, and beyond that these are simply great entertainers who put on quite a show.”
Several children’s attractions are on tap for Beatles at the Ridge this year. The Love, Love Me Do petting zoo will give youngsters a chance to hold cuddly animals. The Morley Family Magic Show, always a popular feature of the festival, will be back once again with shows at 10:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m., and 5:30 p.m. There will also be inflatables, yard games, vintage table games, balloon creations, and airbrushing.
Some 90 vendors have signed up for the festival, including a wide array of arts, crafts, and retail vendors selling their wares. There will also be a big variety of food, with 14 food vendors setting up for the day.
The Abbey Road Car Show runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with peoples’ choice awards to be presented in the categories of antique (1959 and before), classic (1960 to 1989) and late model (1990 and newer). The car show will be held on Northwest Third and West Walnut Streets, next to Regions Bank. The entry fee is $20, and vehicles can start lining up at 10 a.m. next to Walnut Ridge City Hall on Northwest 3rd Street.
“There is a reason this festival has become one of the most popular in Arkansas,” Tillman said. “From the music to the vendors to the car show and the children’s activities, there really is something for everyone. This is our chance to showcase our community and have a lot of fun in the process.”
The festival itself opens at 10 a.m., and it runs until the conclusion of the Liverpool Legends’ performance that evening. Beatles at the Ridge takes place in Downtown Walnut Ridge and encompasses several city blocks on the north side of Main Street, as well as the performances at Beatles Park on the south side of Main.
