THE town of Parkes in central New South Wales is set to be all shook
up..
.
But there will be no shake, rattle and rolling for caravanners who haven't
already arranged accommodation for next year's five-day iconic Elvis
Festival.
"Local caravan parks are already booked out," the event's communications
manager, Matt Fraser, told Caravanning News.
Next year's event marks the festival's 25th anniversary, and it promises to be
huge.
The showgrounds and overflow park are also full but Mr Fraser said
organisers were working on providing more temporary sites.
"Nearby towns ‒ a short drive away ‒ still have availability, but there's
going to be many disappointed Elvis fans out there," he said.
Parkes commemorates Elvis Presley by
staging the event on the second week in January to coincide with the King
of Rock and Roll's
birthday.
Lucky grey nomads who have managed to secure caravan park sites are
already preening their jumpsuits and polishing their rhinestones in
readiness to join over 22,000 Elvis fans.
What started as a small get together in 1993 has grown into an
internationally renowned event endorsed by the estate of Elvis Presley.
Last year's festival attracted over 13,000 overnight visitors, who
contributed more than $9.3 million to the local economy.
The 2017 festival's theme will be the 1964 Elvis film Viva Las Vegas and
will be jam-packed with over 120 events, including the headline Feature
Concert Series, Elvis Gospel Service and a street parade.
There will also be nonstop free entertainment in Cooke Park, the
ever-popular Renewal of Vows, Goodsell Machinery Miss Priscilla Dinner,
competitions, busking and dancing.
And it will also feature a preliminary round of the Ultimate Elvis Tribute
Artist Contest.
Leading Elvis tribute artists from Australia and abroad will battle it out
for the chance to represent Parkes during the semi-final round in Memphis,
Tennessee.
