THE ELVIS PARKES FESTIVAL
25 years old in 2017, the festival just gets bigger and better! The Parkes Elvis festival has cemented its place as a premier event on the national calendar. But the question that everyone asks is why is the Elvis festival in Parkes, in the first place? In 1981 local Elvis fans, Bob and Ann Steel opened a reception centre and restaurant in Parkes which they named Gracelands. The festival concept was first flagged at a 1992 Elvis party and this proved the massive appeal of the King across generations and it was over a glass of wine at a party that the idea of the Elvis festival first gained traction. Passionate locals from across the community joined forces to put on the first Festival in 1993 which included an Elvis movie screening, a tribute concert by Eddie Youngblood, an Elvis lookalike and soundalike competition, street parade, Markets, and a tour of the Parkes region, and was attended by about 200 people! Over the first ten years of the festival, more events were added and it continued to attract fans. With continuing vision and the help and support of Parkes Council, in 2003/ 04 the Festival finally took off, and word quickly spread across Australia about this fun and quirky event in a country town in central NSW. The event has gone from success to success with the incredible support of the Council and the people of Parkes, and now attracts over 20,000 people every year in January Check it out at: www.parkesfestival.com.au
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Archives
December 2019
Categories |