April 21 (Reuters) – 1000’s of hip-shaking Elvis Presley impersonators and followers of the late King of Rock and Roll returned on Thursday to the Elvis Competition within the Australian nation city of Parkes for the primary time in additional than two years.
Now in its twenty ninth 12 months, the Parkes Elvis Competition was cancelled in 2021 due to COVID-19, which additionally pushed again the occasion this 12 months from January, Presley’s birthday month, to April.
The pageant, the largest occasion of the 12 months in Parkes, 357 km (222 miles) west of Sydney, attracts round 25,000 folks, and enterprise homeowners are comfortable the vacationers are again.
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“We’ve missed it. Not solely business-wise, however we have missed the folks, we have missed the enjoyable, we have missed the music,” native enterprise proprietor Kristy Berry advised Reuters.
Elvis Presley impersonator Sean Wright poses subsequent to the Elvis Specific practice at Sydney’s Central station earlier than it departs for the twenty sixth annual Elvis Competition being held within the New South Wales city of Parkes in Australia, January 11, 2018. REUTERS/Daniel Munoz
The Elvis Specific practice pulled into Parkes on Thursday
filled with sideburn-sporting Elvis imitators, welcomed by jubilant followers who posed with them for images.
The pageant holds a particular place within the hearts of the Elvis impersonators.
“I find it irresistible each time I come to Parkes. It is the one pageant that the entire city is immersed in Elvis,” stated Elvis tribute artist Kingsley Rock.
“Whenever you sing a tune and a real Elvis fan actually reacts to that and enjoys it, that is the reward.”
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Reporting by Cordelia Hsu; Writing by Christian Schmollinger; Modifying by Jane Merriman
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