Lawrence County Chamber Receives Henry Award for Tourism Attraction of the Year
Beatles at the Ridge Festival earns statewide tourism honor
The Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce has received the 2026 Henry Award for Tourism Attraction of the Year for the Beatles at the Ridge Festival, recognizing the event’s impact in bringing visitors from across the nation and around the world to Arkansas.
Presented by the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism, the Henry Awards recognize individuals, organizations and attractions that have made significant contributions to Arkansas’s tourism industry. Named after Henri de Tonti, the awards celebrate statewide excellence across categories including Tourism Organization of the Year, Tourism Attraction of the Year and Natural State Tourism Development.
Now in its 13th year, Beatles at the Ridge commemorates the unexpected 1964 stop of The Beatles in Walnut Ridge during their first North American tour — the only verified location the band visited during that tour. What began as a local heritage celebration has grown into an internationally recognized music and cultural tourism event held each September in historic downtown Walnut Ridge and along Rock ’n’ Roll Highway 67.
“This recognition belongs to all of Lawrence County,” said Terrence Ward, executive director of the Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce. “For more than a decade, volunteers, businesses, sponsors, musicians and community leaders have worked together to preserve and share our unique place in music history. We are honored that this story — and this rural Arkansas community — has been recognized at the state level.”
The festival attracts visitors from across the United States and abroad who gather in Walnut Ridge to celebrate the county’s connection to The Beatles and the broader legacy of rock and roll history in Arkansas.
Chamber leaders also recognized the early tourism vision of Walnut Ridge Mayor Charles Snapp and Jackie Snapp, whose work within the Chamber’s tourism efforts helped spark and shape the festival’s development.
“This award reflects years of leadership and belief that Lawrence County’s story mattered,” Ward said. “Their dedication helped create an event that now strengthens our local economy, community pride and tourism identity.”
The honor marks the Lawrence County Chamber’s second Henry Award and its first in the Tourism Attraction category. It is also the first time a Lawrence County community tourism initiative has received Henry Award recognition since 2013.
Beatles at the Ridge is organized by the Lawrence County Chamber of Commerce with support from the Chamber’s tourism committee, community volunteers and regional partners. The annual festival features live music, heritage programming, vendors and activities celebrating the county’s role in music history.
The 2026 Beatles at the Ridge Festival will be held on September 19th in historic downtown Walnut Ridge.
Lawrence County is promoted by the Chamber as a place visitors can “visit, grow and stay for good,” reflecting its combined tourism, business and community development mission.