44th Annual Fest For Beatles Fans Announced, 3/9 - 11
By: A.A. Cristi Feb. 09, 2018
The Fest For Beatles Fans, the longest running and largest annual celebration of The Beatles, returns to the Hyatt Regency on the Hudson River inJersey City from March 9 - 11 for the 2018 New York Metro event. Just a five-minute PATH train ride from Manhattan, Jersey City will become Beatles Central for the thousands of fans from across the country and around the world who gather for this lively three-day event celebrating the incredible music and legacy of the Fab Four.
2018 marks the 30th anniversary of the Traveling Wilburys, the supergroup formed by George Harrison with Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, Jeff Lynne and Tom Petty. "Roy's Boys" - the sons of Roy Orbison, and accomplished musicians in their own right - will be making their first Fest appearance and performing with Fest favorites, Jeff Slate's Birds of Paradox, in a Saturday tribute to the Traveling Wilburys and their father, Roy. They'll also be meeting fans and signing copies of their new bio, The Authorized Roy Orbison by Jeff Slate.
All Beatles-related special guests will be available to meet with fans, performing and/or speaking throughout the weekend. The Fest includes the largest Beatles Marketplace, offering an avalanche of every Fab Four-related item imaginable plus vendors selling very rare and unusual Beatles memorabilia. There's no other place to find so much Beatles merchandise in one location. Top Beatles experts are on hand to help any questions fans may have concerning these or your own collectables.
Every ballroom and conference room at the Hyatt Regency will be utilized for non-stop events including meet & greets, musical performances from many of the special guests and local artists, film screenings, panel discussions, art displays, book signings, a Drum Symposium moderated by Modern Drummer Magazine's Billy Amendola, a display of the brand new limited edition Sgt. Pepper Juke Box, and a multitude of other Beatles-related activities for the whole family taking place all weekend.
"There's an incredible sense of community at The Fest and that's because the thousands who visit each year have a shared appreciation for this marvelous music made by four young men from Liverpool who changed the world," said Mark Lapidos, founder of The Fest for Beatles Fans. "Their music is still remarkably joyous and vital and we are thrilled to see today's generation of fans appreciate it as much as those of us who were fans from the early days."
With estimated sales of more than one billion physical and digital units sold worldwide, and a record 27 number-one U.S. Chart hits, The Beatles are considered to be the best-selling band of all time. They are also the most influential and groundbreaking musical artists ever and the revolution they began over 50 years ago still captures our imagination and inspires 3-4 generations of fans today. The 2018 Fest will be the epicenter for celebrating everything fans love about their favorite band, The Beatles!
JUST SOME OF THE SPECIAL GUESTS... MORE TO BE ANNOUNCED!
Peter Asher | Peter & Gordon, host of Peter Asher: With Love From Me To You on
SiriusXM's The Beatles Channel 18
Friday evening New Event - Peter Asher All Together Now with the other Special Guests
Randy Bachman (Sunday only) | The Guess Who (American Woman), Bachman-Turner Overdrive (You Ain't Seen Nothing Yet), member of Ringo Starr's All-Starr Band
Premiering new CD Tribute to George Harrison - By George, By Bachman
NEIL INNES | The Rutles, Monty Python, Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, collaborated with Paul McCartney, Honoring the 40th Anniversary of The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash Film
PETER & JEREMY | Premiere Musical performances on Saturday & Sunday featuring two separate halves of the two most popular duos from the British Invasion,
Peter & Gordon, and Chad & Jeremy
BILLY J. KRAMER | British Invasion legend, toured with The Beatles and had hits with songs they wrote for him. New Talk - The British Invasion Through Billy J. Kramer's Eyes and Ears
Plus a Sunday Concert with his Band (featuring Liberty Devitto on Drums)
LESLIE CAVENDISH | The Beatles official hairdresser from 1967-75, first FEST appearance
MARK RIVERA (Sat & Sun) | Ringo Starr's Musical Director, Billy Joel's Sax player, heads up the nightly jams with Liverpool and the special musical guests
LIVERPOOL | World's Finest Beatles Tribute Band in concert each evening, performing songs form Yellow Submarine and extended sets from The White Album in honor of the
album and film's 50th anniversaries
THE WEEKLINGS | performing songs The Beatles wrote but never recorded, plus their own Beatlesque songs from their latest studio album, Studio 2,Saturday afternoon!
JEFF SLATE'S BIRDS OF PARADOX | Performing with "ROY'S BOYS" in a tribute to the
30th anniversary of the Traveling Wilburys - Saturday Afternoon
MC Ken Dashow | Q104.3 DJ and host of Breakfast With The Beatles
JON COBERT (Sunday only)| pianist who recorded with John Lennon
PIG LIGHT SHOW with Marc Rubinstein
Charles Roberts | Liverpool pal who took 1st photo of The Quarrymen in 1957,
Premiering new book - Just Like Starting Over
GARY ASTRIDGE | Curator of Ringo's Drum Kits
Just added: Gene Cornish | of The Rascals
DRUM SYMPOSIUM | Hosted by Billy Amendola (Modern Drummer Magazine)
EVENTS INCLUDE:
APPLE JAM STAGE, FEST STORE AND MARKETPLACE,
GUEST SIGNINGS, MUSICIAN'S FORUM,
BEATLES MUSEUM & ART CONTEST, VIDEO ROOM,
DISCUSSION ROOM WITH OVER A DOZEN BEATLES AUTHORS,
PHOTO & ART EXHIBITS, SUNDAY BATTLE OF THE BEATLES BANDS,
BEATLES YOGA, SGT. PEPPER JUKE BOX, TM, POETRY JAM,
MR. RAY'S BEATLES 4 KIDS SATURDAY CONCERT, BEATLES PARADE,
DENNILU BEATLES ANIMATION ART, ERIC CASH FINE ART,
CELEBRITY ART EXHIBIT, KARAOKE KAREN,
BEATLES TRIVIA & NAME THAT TUNE GAME SHOWS
WITH TOM FRANGIONE OF THE BEATLES CHANNEL,
FRIDAY NIGHT 60'S DRESS UP DANCE PARTY,
FABORATORY, FAN JAMMING & MORE!
CHARITY RAFFLES: In addition to everything else going on, The Fest has raised $600,000.00 over the years for John Lennon and Yoko Ono's Spirit Foundation and The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence, and numerous other organizations since 1974. Yoko has been a generous supporter of The Fest for over 35 years, donating signed items for the Spirit Foundation raffles and auction.
LOCATION:
Hyatt Regency Jersey City On The Hudson*
Jersey City, NJ 07302
Ph: 201-469-1234
Hotel Parking - $15.00 all day/night, plus other nearby lots are honoring the same rate.
Free parking is offered on some of the city streets on weekends.
*Rooms at the Hyatt Regency Jersey City for the FEST are sold out on the Saturday night. Our first overflow hotel is the brand new all suites Hyatt House - 1-800-993-4983 (next door to the host site - $189.00/night). There may be a couple of rooms available. The nearby Double Tree by Hilton Hotel & Suites Jersey City is the second overflow hotel and is offering a room rate of $179.00/night. Ph: 201-499-2400.
EVENT TIMES:
Friday, March 9 - 5:00 PM TILL MIDNIGHT
Saturday, March 10 - NOON TILL MIDNIGHT
Sunday, March 11 - NOON TILL 10:30 PM
TICKET TO RIDE:
Advance Prices through March 8th -
Fri-54, Sat or Sun-$79,
Fri/Sat Combo-$125.
Sat/Sun Combo-$152.
All 3 Days - $199.
Single Day Tickets available at the Door
Fri - $54, Sat-$79, Sun-$79
Special Offer for Friday Evening only.
$10.00 Admission to the Marketplace and Apple Jam Stage (9th Floor events only)
Children 16 and under - ½ price
5 years & under -FREE
For tickets, go to www.thefest.com and click on Buy Tickets OR call 1-866-THE-FEST.
ABOUT THE FEST FOR BEATLES FANS: The Fest For Beatles Fans is the world's longest-running Beatles fan celebration. It was launched in New York City in 1974 when founder Mark Lapidos thought of the idea for a 10th Anniversary Celebration of The Beatles' arrival in America. He went to John Lennon and received his blessing. John said "I'm all for it, I'm a Beatles fan too!" Ever since that first Beatlefest (as it was called then), The Fest has become an integral part of the Beatles fan experience in America, with celebrations in multiple cities and regions throughout the year. Over the past 43 years, The Fest has featured appearances by a huge range of fellow musicians, artists, family members, friends, and associates from the Beatles world. The Fest also carries the world's largest selection of licensed Beatles merchandise and publishes the only Beatles mail order catalogue in circulation.
For full details and guest bios, visit www.thefest.com and click on the New York Metro FEST.
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