On Saturday, hundreds of Elvis Presley impersonators marched down Parkes’ main street as the Australian country town commemorated 30 years of hosting an Elvis gala that has grown to be one of the largest festivals in the nation.
‘It’s fantastic,’ said Bob Steele, who founded the festival with his wife Anne after a dinner party where the guests ended up singing Elvis songs long into the night.
‘Fancy getting to 30 years with a festival, we’re just so pleased with it.’
Every year in the first week of January, a celebration 350 kilometres northwest of Sydney draws 24,000 attendees to the town, which typically has 14,000 residents.
In addition to Elvis tribute acts, the extravaganza, timed to coincide with the birthday of ‘The King’, includes Elvis art and photo exhibitions, rock and roll dance lessons, and Elvis trivia nights.
While Parkes is now known as the Elvis capital of Australia, Steele said some locals were initially sceptical of the event.
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