Iconic Parkes Elvis Festival celebrates its 25-year anniversary in rural Australia

Record ID: 164289

  • Title: Iconic Parkes Elvis Festival celebrates its 25-year anniversary in rural Australia
  • Date: 13th January 2017
  • Summary: PARKES, AUSTRALIA (JANUARY 12, 2017) (REUTERS) 'ELVIS EXPRESS' TRAIN COMING INTO PARKES RAILWAY STATION
  • Embargoed: 27th January 2017 04:24
  • Keywords: Elvis Presley festival fans train anniversary
  • Location: PARKES & MANILDRA, AUSTRALIA
  • City: PARKES & MANILDRA, AUSTRALIA
  • Country: Australia
  • Topics: Celebrities,Arts/Culture/Entertainment
  • Reuters ID: LVA0015YWYB15
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:It has been almost 40 years since Elvis Presley died, but for five days in early January, the memory of 'the King of rock and roll' lives on in the central New South Wales town of Parkes.
    What started out as a dinner in the Parkes Gracelands restaurant has blossomed into the iconic Parkes Elvis Festival, which after a shaky start is celebrating its 25-year anniversary in 2017.
    With this year's theme Elvis' classic 1964 film 'Viva Las Vegas' on Friday (January 13) fans not only donned rhinestone embellished jump-suits, their best wigs, but sequins, feathers and all things Vegas, while buskers entertained the crowds. All in the scorching heat of 42 degrees Celsius (107 Fahrenheit).
    "The local economy just goes through the roof this time of year. You know, people come from far and wide and across the world to come to this, you know, this prestigious Elvis celebration I suppose. Local businesses they get behind it, they support it and people in general just, they just love it. Live and breathe Elvis for a week, you know, it's fantastic," said businessman Dave Chambers.
    The festival sees Parkes balloon to over double its normal size with organisers expecting 25,000 to 30,000 people to attend in 2017, but the concept wasn't always welcomed by the locals.
    The first festival was held in 1993 and the brainchild of husband and wife Bob and Anne Steel who then owned the Gracelands restaurant in Parkes and were Elvis fans.
    January was thought to be the best time for the festival as it coincided with Presley's birthday on January 8.
    "There was a little bit of apathy in the town. People said, and they said, 'Why would we want to have an Elvis Presley festival or birthday when Elvis had nothing to do with Parkes?' and you know, 'We are a country place and we run agricultural shows and we have flower shows' and all this sort of stuff, you know," Bob Steel told Reuters on Thursday (January 12) after playing his ukulele at the 'Sing like a king' event as part of the festival. "And that's all very good but that doesn't draw all the people. I think we have managed to do something better than that."
    The Parkes Elvis Festival officially starts when the 'Elvis Express' trains rolls into Parkes railway station from Sydney.
    Carrying hundreds of people dressed in Elvis-inspired clothing, the train is greeted by locals and visitors on the platform wanting to welcome those arriving into Parkes, as Elvis music plays from the station speakers.
    Parkes local and retiree Bob Bokeyar wasn't always so keen on the idea of an Elvis festival but has since changed his mind and embraced the event, volunteering his time to help.
    "I think there was a bit of a cringe factor really with most people, including myself. But I think we have come to love Elvis and love the festival over the years and you know, that's just disappeared now and it's just a great event. Great event," he said.
    While the 'Elvis Express' comes into the station Anne Steel is busy preparing the '2017 Miss Priscilla' dinner, which will see a female contestant crowned as the winner of the look-alike competition. Steel says it's easier now with all the help she and team receive but remembers a time when it looked like the festival would not continue.
    "Then we had a few bushfires and we had a few floods, not here in Parkes but it stopped people from coming and we just didn't know for a while there, it was touch and go whether we would be able to continue on with it. But the town came good, the floods and the bushfires stopped and away we go," Steel said.
    The Parkes Elvis Festival concludes on Sunday (January 15) with various activities throughout the town and a parade in the town centre on Saturday (January 14).
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