Beatles Fan Fest Returns to W’chester for First Time in Over 30 Years
More than 50 years after the iconic band set foot in America for the first time, “Beatlemania” is taking over Westchester County this weekend.
Starting tonight (Friday), The Fest for Beatles Fans will take place at the Hilton Westchester in Rye Brook, and is expected to draw more than 5,000 visitors from 27 states and three continents, said event founder Mark Lapidos.
“You probably can’t ask for a more iconic band than The Beatles,” said County Executive Rob Astorino, who was pleased to welcome the Fest to Westchester for the first time since 1982.
Founded 41 years ago, The Fest has been held in New Jersey for the majority of its run and had been slated to take place in the Garden State again this year, until the roof of the building organizers had planned to use collapsed due to snow. Lapidos said they decided to return to Westchester because of the wonderful experience they previously had in the county.
The event features a variety of attractions for fans of all ages, including puppet shows and games for children. Lapidos said as The Fest has progressed since its inception, he has seen three generations of fans come through to show their love for The Fab Four.
“It’s really exciting to see young people,” he said. “The kids today, they have their music they listen to and then they realize, when they get to their mid-teens…my parents have this music that sounds so much better.”
Older fans can explore the marketplace where everything from tote bags and T-shirts to rare albums priced as high as $17,000 is for sale. During the three-day festival, several people who worked and recorded with John, Paul, George and Ringo during their solo careers will host discussions and perform alongside the tribute band “Liverpool.”
One special guest who will be sharing his stories with fans is Jack Oliver, head of Apple Records, which was The Beatles’ record company from 1967 to 1971. Working with the band for several years, Oliver experienced several once-in-a-lifetime moments, including being present for The Beatles’ famous rooftop concert in London, which ultimately became the band’s final live performance.
Oliver explained that he and the rest of the office staff were unaware that the roof of the Saville Row building would be turned into a stage that day in 1969, but recalls two men removing the skylight in his office to hoist a piano up to the roof. He regrets now that he is not visible on any of the concert footage, which was later used in the film “Let It Be,” but he had good reason–he spent the majority of the time running up and down the stairs trying to prevent the police from getting into the building to shut down the concert.
“It was our job. A lot of us don’t have any pictures at all just because it was our job and we lived in this bubble, and on the outside everyone thought we were gods and we were just regular people working together,” Oliver said.
Oliver never expected that people, including many who were born years after the breakup of The Beatles, would be lining up to hear his stories five decades later.
“We had no idea that 50 years later The Beatles would still be going on because, in those days, when a band broke up that was it, you never heard from them again,” he said.
With thousands of people traveling to Westchester and staying overnight for The Fest, county officials said this type of event is great for generating revenue and fits perfectly into the “Meet Me in Westchester” tourism campaign. Astorino presented a proclamation to Lapidos, thanking him for bringing The Fest to Westchester and noting that they have a free pass to return anytime they wish.
“It is such a good time, it is so happy, you really hear fabulous music and relive memories of times that were really, really special and wonderful,” said Marsha Gordon, president and CEO of The Business Council of Westchester, which altered plans for its own event at the hotel this weekend to accommodate The Fest for Beatles Fans.
The Fest kicks off today (Friday) at 5 p.m. and continues on Saturday and Sunday, beginning at noon both days. The Westchester Hilton is located at 699 Westchester Ave. in Rye Brook.
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