• Submitted by: manso
• Arts and Culture
• 12 / 03 / 2010

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Dec. 8th marks the 30th anniversary of the day John Lennon, who would have been 70 this year, was fatally shot. Here’s where fans are expected to gather on Wednesday. New York. The place to be is the Strawberry Fields memorial in Central Park. Look for a circular mosaic, with the word “Imagine” in the middle, located on the west side, between 71st and 74th Streets. It’s across from The Dakota, where Lennon lived and died. His widow, Yoko Ono, often lights a candle at the window of their apartment that night.

Hollywood, Calif.Candlelight vigils will likely take place at Lennon’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, on 1750 Vine St., near the circular Capitol Records building. Capitol released several Beatles albums.

Puebla, Mexico

The John Lennon memorial plaque is near the Carolino building along 3 Oriente Street, in an area known, not surprisingly, as Plaza John Lennon. Puebla has an active group of fans on a Facebook page called The Beatles Fan Club Puebla.

Havana, Cuba

Late in the last millennium, Fidel Castro had a change of heart about the Beatles, whose music had previously been condemned as decadent. In 2000 he unveiled a life-like statue of John Lennon in Havana. A government employee is dispatched daily to keep an eye on Lennon and make sure his glasses aren’t stolen. On Dec. 8, musicians and fans gather to pay tribute and sing his songs. Parque Lennon is in the Vedado area, near the corner of Calle 17 and Calle 6.

Durness, Scotland

Lennon enjoyed childhood holidays with his cousin, Stanley Parkes, in this remote highland region. There’s a garden dedicated to the singer with three memorial stones engraved with lyrics from, “In My Life.” (www.northhighlandsscotland.com)

Liverpool

When you arrive in Lennon’s birthplace, you’ll see a statue of the singer at Liverpool John Lennon Airport (motto, “Above us only sky”). Since his birthday on Oct. 9, the city has been celebrating John Lennon Tribute Season. The Bluecoat arts centre is holding a Bed-In where various performers and activists re-interpret Lennon and Ono’s famous 1969 protest. On Dec. 9 there will be a memorial concert at the Echo Arena, with performances by members of the Quarrymen and the Plastic Ono Band. Fans can try to get a room at the Hard Day’s Night Hotel.

Tokyo

Fans who want to be with Yoko Ono on this night can see her at the annual fundraiser concert, Dream Power John Lennon Super Live, at Tokyo’s Nippon Budokan stadium. Japanese performers, such as Sayuri Yoshinaga and Bonnie Pink, will share the bill.

Reykjavik, Iceland

Since Oct. 9, the Imagine Peace Tower has been sending a light beam into the sky from the island of Videy in the Reykjavik harbour. It will continue to shoot the beam until Wednesday. When Ono relit the tower this past October, she asked fans to tweet a million messages of peace. Visit www.imaginepeacetower.com to see the messages pouring in, next to a live webcam view of the tower.

Julia Steinecke, a Toronto-based freelance writer, is at www.facebook.com/juliatravels.


Source: www.thestar.com/travel/article/900602--they-ll-imagine-he-was-still-here