Australian Elvis festival still ‘fantastic’ after 30 years

PARKES, Jan 7 (Reuters) – A whole lot of Elvis Presley impersonators paraded down the primary road of Parkes on Saturday, because the Australian nation city celebrated 30 years internet hosting an Elvis-tribute gala that has turn out to be one of many nation’s greatest festivals.

“It is unbelievable,” stated Bob Steele, who based the pageant along with his spouse Anne after a cocktail party the place the friends ended up singing Elvis songs lengthy into the night time.

“Fancy attending to 30 years with a pageant, we’re simply so happy with it.”

The pageant, 350 km northwest of Sydney, takes place annually in early January, with some 24,000 followers descending in town usually residence to about 14,000.

Along with Elvis tribute acts, the extravaganza, timed to coincide with the birthday of ‘The King’, consists of Elvis artwork and photograph exhibitions, rock and roll dance classes, and Elvis trivia nights.

Whereas Parkes is now generally known as the Elvis capital of Australia, Steele stated some locals have been initially sceptical of the occasion.

“I bear in mind studying totally different individuals’s letters they wrote into the paper saying, ‘why would we honour an American?’ However they will see that is fairly silly now, everybody’s fairly pleased about it lately,” he instructed Reuters.

Saturday’s parade – the climax of the five-day pageant that closes Sunday – noticed contributors donned in jet black wigs and bejewelled jumpsuits shake their approach down the primary road.

Different impersonators joined the colorful procession in classic vehicles.

First time attendee, Carl Upton, who made the journey after shopping for a classic automobile and discovering it was a two-time pageant award winner, described the event as “mindblowing”.

“It is simply been completely unbelievable,” he stated.

Reporting by Cordelia Hsu, writing by Sam McKeith & Simon Cameron-Moore

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