Are We There Yet?

Beatles' 1964 visit still rocking Walnut Ridge

An outdoor sculpture by Danny West in downtown Walnut Ridge emulates the jacket of The Beatles’ celebrated 1969 album Abbey Road.
An outdoor sculpture by Danny West in downtown Walnut Ridge emulates the jacket of The Beatles’ celebrated 1969 album Abbey Road.

WALNUT RIDGE -- Fifty years ago this weekend, Walnut Ridge enjoyed its figurative 15 minutes of fame when The Beatles touched down at the nearby airport.

A half century later, locals have turned that short surprise stopover into a tourist attraction, complete with a festival that drew 17,000 visitors last year. Planners are aiming for an even larger turnout Friday and Saturday at the third annual Beatles at the Ridge event. (See details in The Weekend Ten, Page 1E.)

The Beatles landed near this northeast Arkansas town of 5,000 on Sept. 18, 1964, amid their triumphant first U.S. tour. Newly idolized as the world's most popular rock group, they were flying from Dallas to New York for sold-out shows before worshipful throngs.

To take a break from the stress of stardom, they planned to spend part of the weekend relaxing at a ranch in nearby southern Missouri.

They wanted to avoid the onslaught of fans at a major airport like Memphis or St. Louis. So their big jet landed after dark at Walnut Ridge Regional Airport, which had a runway long enough thanks to its World War II role as an Army Air Force training base.

Back in town at the Polar Freeze restaurant, which remains popular today, owner Jack Allison heard the approach of a large plane. A pilot himself, Allison knew this was something unusual for Walnut Ridge.

When three teenagers stopped by, he sent them to the airport to see what was going on. Arriving, the boys found themselves face to face with John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. A friendly chat and autograph signing ensued before the Fab Four proceeded to the ranch.

Word of the landing spread around town, bringing some 300 people to the airport Sunday morning when John and Ringo returned from their getaway in a single-engine plane. Paul and George, who were leery of small aircraft, soon arrived by car.

The Beatles, perhaps weary of adulation, boarded their jet while barely pausing to acknowledge the cheers and shouts. Some snapshots were taken, the plane's door closed and that was it for Walnut Ridge's flash of reflected glory.

A few years ago, it dawned on civic leaders that The Beatles are still a premier drawing card. Trolling for tourists, they renamed a block of downtown Second Street just off Main Street as Abbey Road to salute the band's venerated 1969 album. In 2011, local artist Danny West created a life-size Beatles sculpture based on the jacket for the album.

Set in rather grandly named Beatles Park, on a vacant lot, the work is titled The British Invasion of the Rock 'n' Roll Highway. The name alludes to Walnut Ridge's place on the 111-mile stretch of U.S. 67 carrying that moniker.

Beyond the sculpture lies Cavanaugh Park, graced by the Guitar Walk. This 115-foot-long walkway, shaped like an electric guitar, features nine informational plaques with button-activated recordings honoring Delta musicians of stature.

The notables include Sonny Burgess, Conway Twitty, Billy Lee Riley, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, Wanda Jackson and Elvis Presley.

Back at the corner of Abbey Road and Main Street, the Imagine shop sells a trove of Beatles-related souvenirs. Proprietor Carrie Mae Snapp, who was at the airport 50 years ago, is a font of information on the subject. She may even show you some Polaroid snapshots of The Beatles taken that Sunday morning.

So far there's no Beatles-landed-here plaque along the airport tarmac, a few miles north of town. But the site off U.S. 67 does offer an attraction for fans of flying. It's the Wings of Honor Museum, whose exhibits pay tribute to the 5,310 World War II student pilots and their instructors.

For details on Walnut Ridge attractions connected to The Beatles and this weekend's festival, call (870) 759-2407 or visit beatlesattheridge.com.

For information on Wings of Honor World War II Museum, call (870) 886-6748 or visit wingsofhonor.org. Hours are normally 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday, 2-5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is free.

Weekend on 09/18/2014

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