New Beatles Convention for Toronto
Forty years after The Beatles whipped Canadian fans into a frenzy for the last time at Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens, Beatlemania is set to hit the city all over again.
The Toronto Beatles Celebration, the city’s first-ever downtown Fab Four convention, will be held September 16 and 17, organizers announced recently.
The Beatles performed at the now-closed indoor arena August 17, 1966, the same day John Lennon expressed his admiration for American Vietnam draft dodgers who had fled to Canada.
A huge lineup of guests will take part in the weekend-long event at Exhibition Place.
They include former Beatles drummer Pete Best, Canadian Denny Doherty of the Mamas and the Papas, John Lennon’s former personal assistant Fred Seaman, Beatles author Bruce Spizer and former Beatles promotion manager Peter Bennett.
Beatles cartoonists, autograph collectors, photographers and publishers will also be there for audio-visual presentations, a mod fashion show, a memorabilia exhibit and two concerts by the internationally recognized Beatles tribute band, 1964 The Tribute.
Toronto’s Beatles tribute band Fab Four and Canadian Liverpool legend Hal Bruce will perform at the convention.
