New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ ISL PR) On February 7, 1964, The
Beatles arrived in
America and the world has never been the same. On February 7, 2014, The Fest for
Beatles Fans, the world's longest running
Beatles celebration, will honor this moment with a 50th Anniversary event in New York City, the launch pad for the band's world domination. Event founder Mark Lapidos announced that the 2014 Fest will take place on Friday, February 7 through Sunday, February 9 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City, with the dates and days of the week corresponding exactly to the dates of the Beatles' 1964 arrival at JFK Airport, and performance on the Ed Sullivan Show. Lapidos says, "We're going all out to make this celebration of the Beatles' 50th Anniversary and The Fest's own 40th Anniversary, into our biggest and best show ever! It is exciting to return to New York City, to the very place where it all started in America."
Guests at the New York Fest will include many close associates of the Beatles, several of whom were also chart topping British Invasion music stars including Donovan ("Mellow Yellow"),
Peter Asher (Peter &
Gordon "World Without Love" and former A&R at Apple Records), Billy J. Kramer ("Bad To Me"), Chad & Jeremy ("Yesterday's Gone"), and former UK head of the
Beatles Fan Club, Freda
Kelly who is profiled in the recent documentary "Good Ol' Freda." Featuring more live music than ever before, additional guests include Ringo Starr's current musical director Mark Rivera and former producer Mark Hudson, the Smithereens, Birds of Paradox (Steve Holley of Wings, and Gary Van Scyoc & Adam Ippolito of John Lennon's 1972 concert band, the Nutopians), Ed Sullivan Show production executive Vince Calandra who stood in for
George Harrison during "Sullivan" TV rehearsals, last season of NBC's "
The Voice" finalist Garrett Gardner, and
Beatles tribute band Liverpool.
Additionally, several celebrated authors of top books about the
Beatles will be present. Among them are Mark Lewisohn ("Tune In"), Vivek Tiwary ("The Fifth Beatle"), Larry Kane ("When They Were Boys"), Bruce Spizer (The
Beatles Are Coming!: The Birth of Beatlemania in America), Mark Hayward ("The
Beatles With Norman Parkinson"), Jude Southerland Kessler ("She Loves You"), and Al Sussman ("Changin' Times").
Included among the other events taking place over this historic weekend will be two Marketplaces, Auction of
Beatles memorabilia, Gretsch Guitar's
George Harrison
Mobile Exhibit, Eric Cash Art Exhibit, Neal Glaser's Celebrity Art Exhibit,
Beatles Museum & Art Contest,
Battle of the Bands, Puppet Shows, Friday Evening '60s Dance Party, Trivia and Name That Tune competitions.
Master of Ceremonies for The Fest is
Martin Lewis, noted
Beatles scholar and producer of the DVD edition "A Hard Day's Night."
In addition to two performance stages and expanded hours, one of the many new features of this year's festivities is the "Q104.3 Lounge" hosted by presenting sponsor, New York's Classic Rock Station Q104.3, whose DJ Ken Dashow will serve as Co-MC.
Tickets for the New York Fest are available on The Fest website at https://www.thefest.com/tickets
ADVANCE TICKET PRICES (through January 17th)
TICKETS TO RIDE:
All-Access (All 3 Days) $195
Weekender (Sat & Sun) $145
Mini-Weekender $120
(Friday plus Sat OR Sun)
DAY-TRIPPERS:
Friday only $55
Sat only $79
Sun only $79
Special Rates For Younger Fans:
Junior Fans - From 6 through 16 - HALF PRICE
Mini-Fans - From 5 and under - FREE AS A BIRD
In 2014, The Fest will also return to Los Angeles in October for the first time in 14 years, in addition to its annual event in Chicago. The
Chicago Fest will take place on the weekend of August 15-17 at the Hyatt Regency O'Hare. The Los Angeles Fest will take place on the weekend of October 10-12 at the Los Angeles Airport Marriott.
