Parkes Elvis Festival
Encyclopedia
The Parkes Elvis Festival
is an annual event celebrating the music and the legend of Elvis Presley
held in early January in the Australia
n New South Wales
regional town of Parkes
. The first festival in 1993 was simply a one night performance attracting 300 attendees. From then, it has grown to become a five day long festival of all things Elvis. The Festival now attracts large numbers that briefly double the population of Parkes.
s in one location. SBS Independent
commissioned a half-hour documentary on the festival, Elvis Lives in Parkes, which was first aired on Australian television on January 10, 2007.
", the NSW regional and rural rail service, Parkes Shire Council itself, Country Energy and Clubs NSW Keno.
Parkes Elvis Festival
The Parkes Elvis Festival is an annual event celebrating the music and the legend of Elvis Presley held in early January in the Australian New South Wales regional town of Parkes. The first festival in 1993 was simply a one night performance attracting 300 attendees. From then, it has grown to...
is an annual event celebrating the music and the legend of Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
held in early January in the Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
regional town of Parkes
Parkes, New South Wales
- Transport :Parkes has a local bus service provided by Western Road Liners, which acquired Harris Bus Lines in March 2006. The Indian Pacific also stops twice a week, as well as the Broken Hill Outback Xplorer service, run by CountryLink, which heads to Broken Hill on Mondays and Sydney on...
. The first festival in 1993 was simply a one night performance attracting 300 attendees. From then, it has grown to become a five day long festival of all things Elvis. The Festival now attracts large numbers that briefly double the population of Parkes.
First event
The first Parkes Elvis Festival, held in 1993, was a one night event attracting 200 people. Over the next few years more events were added and the festival was extended to two days with a few hundred people attending.2006
In January 2006, there was a 40 per cent increase with 5,000 seeing the festival and it injected an estimated $8 million into the Parkes economy.2007
The 2007 festival had over 60 events and was held over five days. More than 6,000 visitors were estimated to have attended. A new world record was set for the most Elvis impersonatorElvis impersonator
An Elvis impersonator is someone who impersonates or copies famed American musician Elvis Presley. Professional Elvis impersonators can work all over the world as entertainers, and such tribute acts are in great demand due to the unique iconic status of Elvis...
s in one location. SBS Independent
SBS independent
SBS independent is the primary production unit of SBS "home-baked" primetime programming.All productions are commissioned in association with the independent sector of the Australian film and television industry....
commissioned a half-hour documentary on the festival, Elvis Lives in Parkes, which was first aired on Australian television on January 10, 2007.
2009
The 2009 Festival became the biggest yet with a huge crowd of 9,500 enjoying the Elvis festivities. The King's Castle - a collection of genuine Elvis memorabilia, was introduced in 2009 adding a new dimension to the Festival. The collection is now open year round.2010
The Festival attracted record crowds again with 12,000 people enjoying over 140 events across 5 days.2011
The 2011 Festival attracts 15,000 people to the Festival. There are over 150 events across the 5 days. The Kings Castle - a collection of genuine Elvis Memorabilia in Parkes moves to a new and improved complex allowing more visitors to see the collection.Sponsors
The 2009 and 2010 and 2011 Parkes Elvis Festival sponsors included "CountryLinkCountryLink
CountryLink is the operator of passenger rail services in country New South Wales, Australia and into Queensland and Victoria. It is an operating brand of the Rail Corporation New South Wales, a government-owned entity...
", the NSW regional and rural rail service, Parkes Shire Council itself, Country Energy and Clubs NSW Keno.