Not to be missed.. this Australian event in a town called Parkes..
"The festival evolved almost 20 years ago, when a couple of Elvis fans, who owned a restaurant called Gracelands in the central NSW town, struggled through another hot summer.
Parkes Shire Council tourism manager Kelly Hendry said people were heading to the coast for their holidays so the town needed a money spinner.
Being Elvis Presley fans - hence the eatery's name - the restaurateurs knew The King's birthday fell on January 8, and decided to throw him a party.
The first festival 17 years ago attracted 200 local closet Elvis fans.
This year 9,500 fans flocked into the town with international media in tow, shops decked out their decor, staff were forced to don costumes and over 120 Elvis-inspired events were held.
"It certainly transforms the whole town," Ms Hendry told AAP.
But the locals weren't always this enthusiastic about the five-day festival, which includes an Elvis Gospel service and countless tribute shows.
"In the early years the locals didn't get behind it and weren't that fond of the idea of a festival," she said.
"There was a large section of the community that were anti it ... because it was a really niche event and it didn't attract many people and they couldn't see the connection or why Parkes should be associated with it.
"They had to be shown the vision of what it could become and then they could get on board."
Ms Hendry said she now has other small towns asking how they can create their own "magic".
Elvis impersonator and die-hard fan Scott Crawford rode the train to Parkes from Sydney with his wife and hundreds of other fans.
Crawford, who also breeds miniature horses, spent the six-hour train ride leading the fans in song.
The 43-year-old from Sydney said people had questioned their motives, thinking they may be taking the mickey.
"There's just a total feeling of one-ness about the whole thing," he said.
"There is a very, very strong sense of love or loyalty towards Elvis.
"Some people say ... we're having a go at Elvis or whatever, no, it's far from that.
"People are having a lot of fun because of his existence, but I never believe that it's at his expense, it is very respectful," he said.
"We're not idiots, we do know that Elvis has passed away but we in our hearts love him."
Elvis Aaron Presley would have been 74 this year.
The first king of rock 'n' roll died at his Memphis mansion called Graceland, on August 16, in 1977 aged 42, of complications related to obesity and drug dependency.
Each year his widow Priscilla Presley has a birthday cake-cutting ceremony at Graceland, attended by hundreds of fans.
An enduring cultural icon, Elvis's unique talent has been mimicked by thousands worldwide.
He has sold over a billion records.
For Elvis fans, the king lives on."
Parkes all shook up about Elvis - Music - Entertainment - theage.com.au
