FabFest Archives
Yesterday....
A LOOK BACK AT FabFest year-to-YEAR
2019-2020
In June 2019, the inaugural FabFest-Charlotte's Beatles Festival began as a 3-day festival with special guests Peter Asher, The Cyrkle and The Fab Four.
FabFest Daytime took place at Fairfield Inn & Suites Charlotte Uptown and included Beatles author presentations by Vivek Tiwary and Anthony Robustelli. Both evening concerts were at Knight Theater. See the program here.
Sadly, FabFest's second year was scheduled for June 2020 and had to be deferred due to the pandemic's closures and event cancellations. Tosco Music quickly shifted and presented virtual Tosco Music Parties instead.
2021
FabFest 2021 luckily landed in July, when a brief break in COVID numbers made gathering in person possible again for several months. FabFest Daytime took place at Spirit Square, the location's last major event before closing for renovations. The first Cover Song Contest was added along with a Beatles Open Mic outdoors. FabFest Marketplace and outdoor activities were offered free. Beatles Art Contest more than doubled in size and became an art sale for the first time by request of festival attendees.
Featured speakers included Robert Rodriguez and Bruce Spizer, and David Palmer joined the panel discussion. The Fab Four came again from Los Angeles, and The Nowhere Boys travelled all the way from Bogotá, Columbia! Special guest Joey Molland of Badfinger performed a concert in McGlohon Theater and at Tosco Music Beatles Tribute, and even joined the House Band and all the night's performers on stage for the closing singalong.
Evening concerts were held at the 2,000-seat Belk Theater to allow the audience to sit socially distanced as many returned to theaters for the first time. Families and music fans were delighted to come together in person for some long-overdue community through music, with more than 400 people participating during the day, and more than 800 tickets purchased each night!
2022
FabFest 2022 turned to its 3rd daytime venue in 3 festivals! In addition to the FabFest Daytime and two evening concerts, FabFest special guest Micky Dolenz and his band performed a separate sold out show as part of the first major event at the newly-opened Parr Center at Central Piedmont Community College.
Parr Center proved a perfect location for this community festival, with a spacious, light-filled gathering hall joining two floors of event space with its social staircase, where live music at the Come Together stage can be heard and enjoyed by everyone throughout the indoor fesitval. State-of-the-art presentation rooms offer comfortable seating for speaker panels and viewing rare concert video. Featured authors included Bruce Spizer, Candy Leonard, and Sean Gaillard.
The Fab Four closed out FabFest for the third year in a row, and their Gavin Pring performed separately at Tosco Music Beatles Tribute as George Harry's Son. Both evening concerts were held at Knight Theater, with The Cyrkle returning for a second year, The Black Ties travelled from the NYC area, and two Cover Song Contest winners from FabFest Daytime also performed as part of Tosco Music Beatles Tribute.
2023
FabFest 2023 brought special guest Gregg Bissonette, Ringo's drummer, for performances at FabFest Daytime and Tosco Music Beatles Tribute, and even a drumming workshop as part of FabFest Daytime.
Jay Bergen , Charles Rosenay and Jude Southerland Kessler were the featured Beatles authors and presenters.
The WannaBeatles also returned, along with several other tribute bands including The Black Ties from the NYC area. Brit Beat was featured for the second evening concert at Knight Theater.
FabFest Daytime returned to Parr Center for the second year and added Beatles Yoga to the outdoor activities for the first time, hosted by Alight Yoga. Yoga instructor and musician Allison Modaferri, together with her musician husband Grey Brewster and their two musical kids, opened the morning singing several Beatles songs themselves for the outdoor crowd.
2024
FabFest 2024 moved from summer to fall for the first time, intending to beat the heat.
Tosco Music Beatles Tribute turned 20 and for the first time, moved to Friday night to open the festival and make it possible for TMBT performers to participate at FabFest Daytime. FabFest reached 5-year milestone!
Special guest Gregg Bissonette returned for his second festival, and performed a memorable set at FabFest Daytime with Gary Burr, John Tosco and other TMBT musicians. Beatles authors included Bruce Spizer, Kit O'Toole and Gary Burr, who also performed at Tosco Music Beatles Tribute!
FabFest Daytime at Parr Center moved the community Play-Along/Sing-Along to the outdoor stage to accommodate more people, and volume! The Beatles Art Contest took its art sale online for the first time, with more artwork sold than any previous year.
Tony Kishman brought his Broadway musical Live and Let Die: The Music of Paul McCartney to Knight Theater for the second evening concert.
2019-2024 FIVE FESTIVALS!
Despite facing a global health crisis and multiple venue transitions, challenges that could sink a festival in its startup years, FabFest made it to our 5th festival with pride!
Festival participation ranged between 2,500 and 3,500 each year across two evening concerts and FabFest Daytime, even during the pandemic. Some attendees and performers travelled considerable distance to join the fun, some for years in a row. Performers of all ages showed up to listen and learn and perform themselves.
Engagement in the community participation portions of the festival grew. The Beatles Art Contest grew from just 9 artists in 2019 to nearly 60 in 2024, with incredible submissions by artists of all ages.
Many are suprised to learn how many youth and young adults are involved throughout the festival, as volunteers and artists and musicians. Over four years of the Cover Song Contest, first-place winners have all been teenagers, three under 18 and the fourth newly a young adult when she won. All first-place winners, and some second and third place winners, later performed at Knight Theater, including Elizabeth Potter pictured here.
2025
FabFest 2025 marked a major change in our festival format. Rather than repeat the second evening headliner concert, we focused resources on making FabFest Daytime FREE for the first time to allow greater participation by families of all backgrounds. This intentional, mission-driven shift made a big impact! Daytime participation increased significantly, with more families and kids, young adults and culturally diverse attendees. This expansion was thanks largely to Presenting Sponsor CG Financials Services, as well as Lead Sponsor Shook Kelley & Supporting Sponsor Chicago Title.
FabFest Daytime appeared to fill Parr Center with possibly twice as many festival-goers as the previous year, and the new FabFest photo booth was a big hit with Beatles fans of all ages! (click the pic to see it play)
Special guest Gregg Bissonette returned for his third festival and continued to delight fans with his performances and also his friendly, congenial self, sitting amongst attendees chatting and enjoying the live music at the Come Together Stage. Beatles authors included Bruce Spizer, Jerry Hammack, and Gary Astridge who presented with Gregg on Ringo's drumming.
Family Fun moved outside with more space for parachute play, and expanded to offer more family-friendly activities, like new spin-art and a customized FabFest coloring wall. Beatles Art Contest in 2025 also expanded with 80 artworks exhibited and more cash prizes awarded than ever before, including a first-time Youth Best in Show Award of $200 inspired by the amazing work submitted by youth artists, all made possible by sponsors Frame Warehouse, Harris Holt Framing & Art Services and Artful Narrative Studio.
2026
We're thrilled that CG Financial Services is returning as Presenting Sponsor of FabFest!
Get ready for another expansion of FabFest Daytime as a FREE family-friendly festival, thanks to new supporters to be announced soon.
We're excited to introduce new partnerships with Arts+ and Piedmont Music Therapy and others to bring more interactive activies for music lovers across the age spectrum! Imagine an immersive Octopus' Garden for pre-K families with a sea creature water table, softly swirling lights simulating underwater, bubbles and sensory play - you can help bring this wonder to life as a volunteer!
A first-time FabFest Fashion & Cosplay Contest is in the works, so start your thrifting for 60's era vintage now! Why? To come together for peace and love through music, that's all. Want to help build this fun new feature at FabFest sure to be a hit for all ages - let us know!
Tosco Music Beatles Tribute turns 22, and tickets are on sale now, along with new Community Access Tickets to ensure that financial barriers won't exclude participants in Saturday's free festival from enjoying Friday at Knight Theater. Plan now to experience the concert tradition that started it all!
We can't wait to see what comes next!
