Contemporary Christian Concert to be Featured at Beatles Festival
This year’s Beatles at the Ridge Music Festival and Symposium, set for Sept. 14 and 15 in downtown Walnut Ridge, will feature a contemporary Christian concert that Saturday afternoon, starting at 1 p.m.
Among those performing will be the JJ Weeks Band, who take the stage at 4:15 p.m. The band’s music has been featured on the official soundtracks for high-profile films “God’s Not Dead” and “Four Blood Moons.”
After Grace from Mountain Home will open the concert at 1 p.m., followed by We Are Vessel, a modern worship/Christian rock band from Waycross, Ga., at 2:15. Justin Teseniar, a Christian artist based out of Atlanta, will take the stage at 3:15, followed by the JJ Weeks Band.
The event is free, and buses are welcome.
Festival Chair Charles Snapp, who also serves as mayor of Walnut Ridge, said this year’s event will offer more music than ever before.
“We have worked on our music lineup to not only increase the number of acts, but also offer different types of music,” Snapp said. “There will truly be something for everyone.”
In addition to the contemporary Christian segment, there will be music on Friday night, as well as throughout the day Saturday, culminating with a performance by the Liverpool Legends from Branson.
The festival also includes an Artists and Authors Symposium that brings in renowned Beatles experts, a car show, a barbecue wing contest, a variety of vendors and activities for kids.
More information can be found at beatlesattheridge.com. Anyone who needs vendor information can contact the Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce at 870-886-3232.
Cathy Drew is a lifelong resident of the region that she loves to promote. She was born in downtown Batesville in the late ’60s, located in one of the eight counties she now enjoys encouraging people to visit.
Drew became associated with the Ozark Gateway Region in 1990 while working at the ad agency (The Media Market Inc.). The agency handled marketing for the regional association, where she and her co-workers produced an annual tabloid publication. She began working as the Ozark Gateway Region director in June 2000.
After Drew became director, she took the region to the next level by helping the tourism organization create a new website and moved it from the old newspaper paper tabloid publication to a color magazine format. She helped open a visitor center for the Ozark Gateway, allowing visitors to pick up information from the entire state 24/7. Over the years, Drew has helped the organization meet new marketing goals, such as in- and out-of-state marketing, assuring that all 100,000 copies of their magazines are distributed each year.
In 2016, she assisted in creating the first Ozark Gateway Region Golf Classic. The tournament continues to grow each year, allowing the organization to expand its co-op program and helping each county have dedicated promotion. Drew stays busy at Ozark Gateway as the ad sales manager, magazine editor, day-to-day office operations, trade show representative, and magazine distribution representative, all while ensuring that the region is represented all over Arkansas and southern Missouri.
Drew was featured in several local and statewide publications over the years, as well as the 1997 cover of the Ozark Gateway Region tabloid, along with her then 4-year-old son, Jon. She has received several awards, such as the Batesville Rotarian of the Year in 2010 and a three-time Paul Harris Fellow.
She also has served as an Independence County election commissioner for several years. She now serves as their co-election coordinator, helping with behind-the-scenes management of voting equipment, day-to-day election deadlines, and poll worker training.
Drew serves on the Arkansas Travel Council Board of Directors, is Batesville Rotary Club Past President, and is the Rotary Clubs’ current publicity chair.
In March of 2018, Drew was honored with induction into the Arkansas Tourism Hall of Fame for her many years of dedicated service to the tourism industry.