Beatles & Fireworks in Anacortes, WA

To celebrate the 4th of July last year, my boyfriend, some close friends and I went up north to the beautiful Anacortes, WA. For those who do not know, Anacortes is a quaint and beautiful coastal city in the northwest region of Washington state. The city has unique charms to it, one of which includes the Anacortes Cinema. This is a historical looking movie theater, decorated with large murals illustrating iconic characters from classic films. I went for a little scavenger hunt, hoping to find a Beatles mural… I was thrilled to stumble upon a replica of the Yellow Submarine from The Beatles 1968 animated film:

Another gem we were lucky enough to come across was Alley Cat Antiques. This store has a plethora of antiques ranging from home decor to clothing, but most importantly, music. Naturally, I began to dig through their vinyl selection in search for Beatles records. Once I came across an Original Motion Picture Soundtrack of The Beatles HELP! on vinyl, I knew I needed to purchase it. However, before purchase, my friends, who are far more rational than me, brought up a good point that perhaps the vinyl quality was damaged or no good. The store owner was kind enough to set up an old record player to test the quality of the record. We all anxiously awaited for the result and the second we heard the beginning of “Ticket to Ride,” we all screamed with joy and sang along. What a successful thrift shop find!

Inside the vinyl cover includes film stills from the movie:

The evening concluded with a fireworks show by the water. Once we arrived at the venue, to my surprise, there was a live band covering Paul McCartney and The Wings’ “Band on the Run” and up next was “With a Little Help from My Friends” by The Beatles. It was a 4th of July celebrated with loved ones, fireworks and Beatles memorabilia… all with a little help from my friends.