“You never would have expected to find the Beatles
in Walnut Ridge, Arkansas.”
Richard Thomas, Former resident of Walnut Ridge, Arkansas
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| Photo by United Press International Available from the United States Library of Congress |
You’ve heard about 15 minutes of fame, right? That’s about exactly what Walnut Grove, Arkansas (population 4,925) got back in 1964 when the Beatles stopped by long enough to say “hello, goodbye” on their way from Missouri to New York. But it’s 15 minutes this town can’t stop talking about 47 years later.
It might never have happened if three teenagers hadn’t spotted a large plane buzzing an old World War II airstrip on the edge of town. When the teens went to investigate, they were stunned to come face to face with John, Paul, George, and Ringo. The lucky lads from Walnut Grove got to hang out with the Lads from Liverpool for a few minutes, before the band members continued on their way. But when the teens got back to town, no one would believe them. It wasn’t until a pilot confirmed their story and let it slip that the Beatles would be coming back through town a few days later that the townspeople whipped themselves into a frenzy and came together to greet the rock band. After a few minutes of chatting it up with the locals, the Beatles climbed into their plane and got back to where they once belonged.
For some, that might have been the end of the story. But not in Walnut Grove. Townsfolk have never stopped talking about The Visit. Women still get weepy when they remember where they were and what they were wearing the day the Beatles came to town. That’s why, after all these years, the town threw a Beatles anniversary celebration, complete with Beatles impersonation band and a metal sculpture modeled after the Beatle’s Abbey Road album cover. The town is even trying to get one of its streets renamed “Abbey Road.”
The celebration isn’t just about “yesterday”; the town is using its brush with fame to draw in visitors and their dollars. Town leaders hope the Beatle’s brief stopover is Walnut Grove’s ticket to ride the tourism gravy train.
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