The program for the 28th annual 2020 Parkes Elvis™ Festival has been announced and it’s certainly one fit for The KingTM. Ticket sales have opened for a packed program featuring concerts, Elvis tribute competitions, kid’s workshops, markets and more – so lace up those blue suede shoes and get ready for some hip swiveling fun!
Returning from Wednesday 8 – Sunday 12 January 2020, Parkes Elvis Festival will see over 27,000 people make the annual pilgrimage to Central NSW for the biggest tribute to The King in the Southern Hemisphere.
The 2020 Parkes Elvis Festival program is filled to the brim with more than 200 unique Elvis-themed events, and features a slew of returning favourites including Northparkes Mines Street Parade, Renewal of Vows Ceremony, Goodsell Machinery Miss Priscilla Dinner free ARTC Cooke Park Main Stage Entertainment and Elvis Gospel Service.
The huge program is jam-packed with stellar shows and more, all designed to get Elvis fans shaking, rattling and rolling. Highlights of the program include:
- Feature Concert Series – Californian Elvis Tribute Artist Dean Z was named the 2013 Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist in Memphis. Dean Z will perform each day of the Festival with the impressive TIC Band, recreating the performances that made Elvis Presley the one and only King of Rock’n’Roll.
- Adam Harvey: Elvis Country Special – Australia’s most decorated country artist, with more than half a million album sales, back-to-back No.1 albums, multiple ARIA nominations, and a succession of Gold and Platinum certified albums, will be performing a tribute to Elvis’ country music hits.
- ELVIS – A Legendary Performer starring Mark Anthony – Making his long-awaited return to Parkes Elvis Festival, Australia’s leading Elvis Tribute Artist Mark Anthony presents an exceptionally dynamic show that exudes the raw energy and true essence of The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.
- Parkes Little Theatre Shows –The Theatre opens its doors to a variety of shows this Festival including: the Mark Andrew Legends Show where he skilfully portrays Elvis Presley, John Lennon, Tom Jones & Jim Morrison; Dean Vegas will wow the audience with his spectacular tribute to The King; In Dreams: Elvis and Roy Orbison starring Paul Fenech and Aaron Mansfield; and even Hypnosis with Wayne Donnelly, where audiences will be in awe with a series of hysterical and hilarious hypnosis routines with an Elvis twist.
- Workshops – Returning to the Festival for a second year are a range of exciting workshops for young and old. Don your favourite Hawaiian shirt and strum your way through classics like Can’t Help Falling in Love at the Ukulele Workshops, learn how to do 1950s hairstyles and make up; or gather the Mini-Elvii for a fun afternoon at the Kids Talent Workshops.
- Get out your leather jackets, pull on your bobby socks and imagine you are in Rydell High’s senior class of 1959. Watch Mark Andrew perform his Grease Show on the ARTC Main Stage with special guest Shelly Minson as Sandy. Sing along with the unforgettable songs from the movie topping the evening off with a tribute to The King.
- Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist ContestTM – The preliminary round of the international Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest also returns in 2020, with leading Elvis tribute artists from Australia and abroad battling it out at Parkes Leagues Club. Officially endorsed by Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc, the winner will represent Parkes in the Semi Final round of the 2020 Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest in Memphis, USA, during Elvis Week in August.
For the best way to arrive in style for the Festival you can’t go past the Elvis Express and Blue Suede Express regional train services. Each year, hundreds of travelers in bejeweled jumpsuits and poodle skirts converge on Sydney’s Central Station for a morning of live entertainment before hopping aboard the luxury trains where they are serenaded by top Elvis Tribute Artists all the way to Parkes. You can also fly to the Festival on the Regional Express Hound Dog Express where you can enjoy drinks and Elvis style entertainment in the REX Lounge at Sydney Airport.
This year’s Festival theme is the 1966 Elvis film Frankie and Johnny, a classic Elvis hit where The King played a Mississippi riverboat performer with a weakness for gambling. Featuring card sharks, casinos, a masked ball and theatrical costumes, the Festival is expecting to witness one of the most colourful events in history.
Festival Director, Cathy Treasure said, “Each year our Festival guests show up in droves, decked to the nines in their finest Elvis attire. Frankie and Johnny was a wonderfully fun film full of amazing costumes so we’re expecting our attendees to have a lot of fun with it.
“This year’s program is bigger and better than ever. We’ve collected some of the country’s top artists for a series of standout shows and Dean Z is arguably one of the world’s best Elvis Tribute Artists so his concert series is sure to impress. There’s also a bunch of great highlights, family focused activities, outdoor markets, special performances and more,” said Treasure.
Minister for Tourism, Stuart Ayres said: “From the top entertainment and country hospitality, it’s no wonder the Parkes Elvis Festival attracts visitors from across Australia every year. The NSW Government is a proud supporter of the festival because we know that events such as this fuel the State’s overnight visitor economy, while placing our stunning rural and regional destinations front and centre, said Mr Ayres.
“Events drive more visitors to rural and regional NSW, putting more heads on beds, diners in our restaurants and shoppers spending in our boutiques – with the impact felt across every home in the region.”
The Parkes Elvis Festival is held every year in the second week in January to coincide with Elvis Presley’s birthday. Now in its 28th year, the Festival continues to grow – with more than 200 events across five fabulous, fun-filled days.
Tickets to all Parkes Elvis Festival shows, across the many venues in the city, are available to purchase online now at www.parkeselvisfestival.com.au
EVENT NAME: Parkes Elvis Festival
DATES: 8-12 January 2020
THEME: Frankie and Johnny
WEBSITE: www.parkeselvisfestival.com.au
LOCATION: Parkes, NSW, Australia
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