By Mona Sandefur - Staff writer

On a chilly, dreary Sunday afternoon, a small yet determined group sat inside Hard Day’s Nite Bed and Breakfast planning an event to draw potentially thousands to downtown Benton.

Members of the Benton George Harrison Beatle Festival committee meet for the first time Sunday in Hard Day’s Nite Bed & Breakfast to discuss plans for the Sept. 8 event, slated from 1 to 6 p.m. From left are Gloria Atchison, Warren Batts, Sarah Morrison (new B&B owner) Rene Perry, Jim Kirkpatrick and Emily Kirkpatrick. Members will meet monthly to firm up plans for the event, scheduled for two locations: the B&B and in the Billy Grammer Bandshell in Capitol Park on the Benton Public Square. Photo by Mona Sandefur

The event is being billed as the Benton George Harrison Beatle Festival, slated for Saturday, Sept. 8. Organizers ranging in age are excited about the possibility of touting one of Benton’s best-kept secrets.
The festival, which in years past was confined to the B&B location at 113 McCann St., is expanding to the Benton Public Square this year and expects to draw many more musicians and swell the population of the community for the day.
One of the event’s organizers and author of a book about Beatle George Harrison, Jim Kirkpatrick, said holding the first planning meeting on Sunday is significant because Harrison would have turned 64 that day.
Kirkpatrick said the festival had been held the same day as the Benton-West City Car Show in the past, adding that the crowd was not as large as could have been, given the location and the day of the event. Kirkpatrick and musician Warren Batts, entertainment organizer and a member of the original Bill Haley’s Comets, said coupled with the fact that the public square is closed to traffic during the Car Show, having two events on the same date might not have been the best idea.
Kirkpatrick said musicians would set up in the Billy Grammer Bandshell of Capitol Park, which would lend itself to a much larger crowd, and close proximity to the variety of shops and restaurants.
Batts called Benton a unique community, saying residents do not appreciate what is here, because they are so accustomed to their surroundings.
“We are this close to an Interstate,” Batts said. “We need to figure out a way to draw people into downtown Benton. There is Beatles memorabilia in every antique store on the square. We need to include the support of those businesses.”

Batts said volunteer musicians are being sought, adding he is in contact with many members of former area bands who performed during the 1960s, as well as far-reaching well-known figures. Batts suggested inviting remaining Beatles members Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr to the event, to see the only tangible link to The Beatles in the United States. Batts said the remaining Beatles could spend the night where their former music mate stayed when he visited his sister, Louise Harrison.
Kirkpatrick said volunteer musicians are being sought to follow Harrison’s Tour of Bangladesh concert.
Batts said he is also working with Tupelo, Miss., promoters to bring tour busses to the one-day event. Benton-West City Chamber of Commerce executive secretary Gloria Atchison recommended Batts contact Sharon Pioveson. Atchison said Pioveson, director of Downtown Benton Inc., has been working on bringing tour busses to the community and may have additional information. Atchison said Pioveson would be a connection to bringing downtown businesses on board to support the festival.
B&B owner Sarah Morrison readily admits that she occasionally regrets being born too late to see The Beatles tour but is a die-hard fan. Morrison, from Morris, said her mother is a Beatles fan and instilled the knowledge to her daughter. Morrison said she would conduct events within the B&B in conjunction with the music and other activities being held on the square.