Gretsch Guitars at Abbey Road on the River

Beatlemania invaded the nation’s capital once again and Gretsch Guitars was there.  The “Abbey Road on the River”  festival happened in the Washington, D.C. area over the Labor Day weekend and featured a near-constant lineup of bands, guest speakers, films, contests and other special events, all of which were staged to celebrate the still-thriving legacy of the Beatles.

Billed as “the world’s largest Beatles-inspired music festival,” Abbey Road on the River took place from Thursday, Sept. 2 to Monday, Sept. 6 at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center hotel in National Harbor, MD.  Gretsch co-sponsored the event.

Gretsch girl Kim Falcon was on hand for photos and to sign autographs. Gretsch Guitars also presented Hal Bruce and the Hard Dazed Knights in concert, who played 214 Beatles songs as a single continuous medley with no breaks or intermission.

Gretsch enthusiasts enjoyed a personal appearance by Fred Gretsch and Gretsch product specialist Joe Carducci. They presented the Gretsch Guitars Experience, sharing behind-the-scenes stories about Gretsch history—which included the Beatles—and a multimedia presentation of the sights and sounds of Gretsch.

Abbey Road on the River takes place twice a year, once in Louisville, KY over Memorial Day weekend and then again in National Harbor, MD (Washington, D.C.) over Labor Day weekend.  Mark our calendar now for 2011 and we’ll see you there.

Click here to watch videos from the event.