Parkes Elvis Festival

Last updated

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 become a five-day-long festival of all things Elvis. The Festival now offers more than 200 events for fans to shake, rattle and roll their way around and continues to attract more than 25,000 people to Parkes.

Contents

History

First event

The first Parkes Elvis Festival, held in 1992, was a one night event attracting 200 people. [1] It was held at Graceland Restaurant to commemorate Elvis' birthday. Over the next few years more events were added and the festival was extended to two days with a few hundred people attending.

2005

By January 2005, the attendance had increased to 3,500 people.

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. [1]

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 impersonators in one location. [2] SBS Independent commissioned a half-hour documentary on the festival, Elvis Lives in Parkes, which was first aired on Australian television on 10 January 2007. [3]

2008

Featuring over 80 events, [4] the 2008 Festival attracted in excess of 8,000 people.

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 attracted 15,000 people. There were over 150 events across the 5 days. The Kings Castle - a collection of genuine Elvis Memorabilia in Parkes moved to a new and improved complex allowing more visitors to see the collection.

2012

The 2012 festival started on 11 January 2012. It features a guest appearance by Australian singer Kamahl. [5]

2016

US Elvis Tribute Artist, Donny Edwards, was the headliner for the year 2016 and he was told it was the 1st time in the festival's history that all 4 shows were sold out.

2017

The 2017 Festival ran from 11 to 15 January. It was the 25th festival. The theme was Viva Las Vegas. The Elvis tribute artists for the four feature concerts held at the Parkes Leagues Club was Pete Storm and Jake Rowley.

2018

The 2018 Festival ran from 10 to 14 January. It was the 26th Festival celebrating 50 years since the "'68 Comeback" theme. [6] More than 26,500 people enjoyed an array of events including International Elvis tribute artist Ben Thompson.

2019

On 23 January 2019 it was reported by Free Malaysia Today as well as the Parkes Champion Post that some AU$13 million (US$9.3 million) had impacted on the economy of Parkes, as more than 27,000 people visited it to attend some 200 Elvis themed events, with the New South Wales state government projecting an injection of AU$43 million ̈(US̩30.6 million) into the wider region surrounding Parkes in 2019 due to the festival huge success.

2022

With 2021's cancellation on grounds of COVID-19 pandemic, the festival went on hiatus until April 2022. The Parkes Elvis Festival entered its 29th year and attracted close to 25,000 to the town some 222 miles west of Sydney. [7]

Sponsors

Parkes Elvis Festival sponsors include Destination NSW, ARTC, Parkes Shire Council itself and Northparkes Mines, along with many more contributing partners and supporters.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elvis impersonator</span> Musician who performs in the style of Elvis Presley

An Elvis impersonator is an entertainer who impersonates or copies the look and sound of American musician and singer Elvis Presley. Professional Elvis impersonators, commonly known as Elvis tribute artists (ETAs), work all over the world as entertainers, and such tribute acts remain in great demand due to the unique iconic status of Elvis. There are even several radio stations that exclusively feature Elvis impersonator material. Some of these impersonators go to Graceland on the anniversary of Presley's death to make their personal tribute to the artist.

The Adelaide Fringe, formerly Adelaide Fringe Festival, is Australia’s Biggest Arts Festival and is the world's second-largest annual arts festival, held in the South Australian capital of Adelaide. Between mid-February and mid-March each year, it features more than 7,000 artists from around Australia and the world. Over 1,300 events are staged in hundreds of venues, which include work in a huge variety of performing and visual art forms. The Fringe features many free events occur alongside ticketed events for the duration of the festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parkes, New South Wales</span> Town in New South Wales, Australia

Parkes is a town in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. It is the main settlement in the local government area of Parkes Shire. Parkes has a population of 10,919 at the 2021 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greg Page (musician)</span> Australian musician, singer and actor (born 1972)

Gregory John Page, is an Australian singer, musician and actor. He is best known as the original lead singer and a founding member of the children's band the Wiggles from 1991 to 2006 and then again in 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Byron Bay Bluesfest</span> Annual Australian music festival

The Byron Bay Bluesfest, formerly the East Coast International Blues & Roots Music Festival, is an annual Australian music festival that has been held over the Easter long weekend in the Byron Bay, New South Wales, area since 1990. The festival features a large selection of blues and roots performers from Australia and around the world and is one of the world's leading contemporary music festivals.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cultural depictions of Elvis Presley</span>

Elvis Presley has inspired artistic and cultural works since he entered the national consciousness. From that point, interest in his personal and public life has never stopped. Some scholars have studied many aspects of his profound cultural influence. Billboard historian Joel Whitburn declared Presley the "#1 act of the Rock era".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kamahl</span> Malaysian–Australian singer and entertainer

Kandiah Kamalesvaran, better known by his stage name Kamahl, is a Malaysian-born Australian singer and recording artist. His highest-charting Australian single, "Sounds of Goodbye" (1969), reached the top 20 on the Kent Music Report singles chart. Another single, "The Elephant Song" (1975), peaked at number one in both the Netherlands and Belgium. Generally, his repertoire comprises adult contemporary music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II</span> 50th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II

The Golden Jubilee of Elizabeth II was the international celebration held in 2002 marking the 50th anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II on 6 February 1952. It was intended by the Queen to be both a commemoration of her 50 years as monarch and an opportunity for her to officially and personally thank her people for their loyalty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Batlow, New South Wales</span> Town in New South Wales, Australia

Batlow is a town in the South West Slopes region of New South Wales, Australia, on the edge of the Great Dividing Range, 775 m above sea level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sydney New Year's Eve</span> Annual multi-tiered event held every New Years Eve in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Sydney New Year's Eve is an annual New Year's Eve fireworks event in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The event currently consists of two fireworks shows, with an evening display known as the "Family Fireworks" held at 9:00 p.m. AEDT, and the main "Midnight Fireworks" held at 12:00 a.m. Fireworks are launched from barges in Port Jackson, as well as nearby landmarks such as the Sydney Opera House, and the Sydney Harbour Bridge, which serves as the main focal point of the show via lighting and pyrotechnic effects.

Ironfest is an historical and cultural event in Lithgow, New South Wales, created by Macgregor Ross, a local artist and festival director. It is a not-for-profit event that celebrates the relationship between humanity and iron, steel and other metals. Hosted as a series of events combined under one large theme, celebrating the cultural heritage and diversity of the Lithgow region, it brings together artists, designers/makers, blacksmiths, performers of all kinds, musicians, historical re-enactors, machine enthusiasts and hobbyists from all over Australia, and the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australia Day</span> Australian national holiday

Australia Day is the official national day of Australia. Observed annually on 26 January, it marks the 1788 landing of the First Fleet and raising of the Union Flag by Arthur Phillip at Sydney Cove in New South Wales. In present-day Australia, celebrations aim to reflect the diverse society and landscape of the nation and are marked by community and family events, reflections on Australian history, official community awards and citizenship ceremonies welcoming new members of the Australian community.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vivid Sydney</span> Recurring festival in Sydney, Australia

Vivid Sydney is an annual festival of light, music and ideas, held in Sydney, Australia. It includes outdoor immersive light installations and projections, performances by local and international musicians, and an ideas exchange forum featuring public talks and debates with leading creative thinkers.

Dean Vegas is an Elvis tribute artist and politician. He has performed around the world as Elvis. He has been referred to as the top Elvis Presley impersonator in Australia.

Andy Stankovich is an Elvis tribute artist from New Zealand who has been performing since the early 1990s. He is also a former boxer who along with his brother won a gold medal at the Oceania Games in Australia. He has fought in Australia and the United States. His Elvis act has taken him to countries that include Australia, Hawaii, Fiji and the United States, where he has performed in Nashville. He has also been credited with inspiring Samoan musician Alphonso Keil to become an Elvis impersonator. In his day job, he runs a scrap metal business. He has also recently been the subject of a documentary.

The COVID-19 pandemic in New South Wales, Australia was part of the worldwide pandemic of the coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. The first confirmed case in New South Wales was identified on 19 January 2020 in Sydney where three travellers returning from Wuhan, Hubei, China, tested positive for the virus.

The COVID-19 pandemic in the Australian Capital Territory is part of the ongoing worldwide pandemic of the coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. After one case of the delta variant in mid-August 2021, the Territory went into lockdown. By 26 September, the ACT had its first COVID-19 related death since mid-April 2020, nearly 18 months, followed by 3 more deaths in the first week of October 2021. 28 deaths during the outbreak since 12 August 2021 brought total deaths to 31, the most recent being on 8 February 2022.

The COVID-19 pandemic in the Northern Territory is part of the ongoing worldwide pandemic of the coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.

The COVID-19 pandemic in Tasmania is part of the ongoing worldwide pandemic of the coronavirus disease 2019 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.

This article documents the chronology and epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and is responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia during the first half of 2021.

References

  1. 1 2 "Parkes all shook up over Elvis festival". Australian Broadcasting Corporation . Retrieved 9 January 2009.
  2. "Parkes in spin-out over Elvis world record". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 15 January 2007. Retrieved 9 January 2009.
  3. Archived 29 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  4. "Elvis impersonators hit Parkes Elvis Festival". Herald Sun . News Corporation. 12 January 2008. Retrieved 11 January 2012.
  5. Buchanan, Kallee (11 January 2012). "Kamahl all shook up over Elvis honour". ABC News . Australian Broadcasting Corporation . Retrieved 11 January 2012.
  6. Wong, Luke (11 January 2018). "Elvis fans from far and wide can't help falling in love with annual Parkes festival". ABC Radio Sydney . Australian Broadcasting Corporation . Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  7. "Watch: Thousands celebrate Elvis in Australian parade". WANE 15. 23 April 2022. Retrieved 24 April 2022.

33°08′23.20″S148°10′29.00″E / 33.1397778°S 148.1747222°E / -33.1397778; 148.1747222