Orillia is the City of Festivals. Welcome to the inaugural Orillia Beatles Celebration ... the first community-based Beatles festival in Canada.

We offer three days (Sept. 21-23) of indoor and outdoor fun, music, concerts, events, memorabilia, educational opportunities, and museum-quality displays in a wonderful and family-friendly setting.

This year is a special year in Beatles history. It was 50 years ago on July 6, 1957 that teenagers John Lennon and Paul McCartney were first introduced, during the Liverpool church fete at St Peter's Church in the suburb of Woolton.

Today, we celebrate their enduring musical and cultural impact, along with George Harrison and Ringo Starr, as the greatest pop band of all time.

Come and meet our celebrities, including Allan Williams of Liverpool, the first booking agent and manager of the Beatles; Peter Bennett of New York, the Beatles Promotions Manager; and Trudy Metcalf, the founder of the first Canadian Beatles Fan Club.

Check out the collections of museum-quality Beatles memorabilia presented by some of the world’s foremost Beatles collectors, including authentic Beatles clothing, the drum head used by Ringo Starr on the Ed Sullivan Show, and Beatles photographs, instruments, tickets, programs, letters, autographs and more. Stroll through our Beatles marketplace for the best in Beatles collectibles that you can take home with you.

Enjoy special concerts in the Orillia Opera House by Beatles tribute band The FabFour. Catch live performances by Beatles tribute artists on our pedestrian-only section of Mississaga Road, and at 13 of Orillia’s pubs and restaurants. Take in our educational seminars and demonstrations, featuring Beatles experts from across North America.

School children from across the City will be involved in a variety of enjoyable learning, performing and participatory events related to the Beatles that have been designed especially for them.

Try your hand at Beatles karaoke with karaoke host Tom Heyfron. Bring in your own Beatles memorabilia and have them appraised for free by our experts.

The Orillia Beatles Celebration … a splendid time is guaranteed for all!

– David Goyette is one of the organizers of the inaugural Orillia Beatles Celebration.