Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
AAP
AAP
Lifestyle
Stephanie Gardiner

Elvises give quiet country town a little more action

Riley Jenkins, Emilio Santoro and Cote Deonath are shaking up the 2025 Parkes Elvis Festival. (Stephanie Gardiner/AAP PHOTOS)

On the streets of a sleepy rural town, children on summer holidays ride bikes, families walk their dogs and elderly couples load groceries into their cars.

Freight trucks rumble through the farming town of Parkes, in the centre of NSW, on roads lined with crepe myrtles resplendent in pink and purple.

Outside the historic court house, where suited defendants wait on the shady verandah, the only clue this is no ordinary day is the sound of Elvis wafting through the humid morning air.

The town of 11,000 is the unlikely setting for the southern hemisphere's biggest celebration of the king of rock 'n' roll.

Thousands of Elvis Presley fans, lookalikes and admirers filled Parkes' main street on Friday for the 32nd festival, a five-day event founded to attract visitors in a traditionally quiet season.

Swing dancers twirled on chequered dance floors set up on the road, buskers in polyester suits and pompadour wigs belted out Elvis classics and hot rods lined Clarinda Street.

Elvis devotee Marilyn Webb made the 570km trip from Euroa, in Victoria.

"That's Ned Kelly country," she proudly told AAP while visiting a life-size replica of the Graceland gates on the outskirts of town.

Ross Cummings, known as Scottish Elvis
Acts such as Ross Cummings, known as Scottish Elvis, are celebrating Elvis Presley's 90th birthday. (Stephanie Gardiner/AAP PHOTOS)

Ms Webb said she first made the pilgrimage to the festival on what would have been Elvis's 80th birthday and could not miss the 2025 event, which coincides with his 90th.

"I have Elvis on in the car coming up, then I have five days of Elvis, and I have Elvis going back," she said.

It was too much for her partner, who opted to stay home.

"It's Elvis in the street, it's Elvis in the pub, it's Elvis in the beer garden, Elvis at the club," Ms Webb said.

An Elvis lookalike at the during the 2025 Parkes Elvis Festival
There's no such thing as too much Elvis for fans at the 2025 Parkes Elvis Festival in NSW. (Stephanie Gardiner/AAP PHOTOS)

"He would say, 'have you had enough?'

"I haven't had enough. I'm here for five days. I'm going to enjoy myself."

The festival can attract more than 20,000 people - almost doubling the population - and injects more than $11 million into the local economy.

It's even been noticed in Weston-super-Mare in England which hosts a small Elvis festival.

Tribute artist Emilio Santoro hails from the seaside town, where he grew up listening to his mother's music collection.

Elvis tribute artist Emilio Santoro and Gracey Jones
Emilio Santoro, pictured with Gracey "Miss Priscilla" Jones, has been an Elvis fan since childhood. (Stephanie Gardiner/AAP PHOTOS)

"I remember first seeing Elvis when I was four years old when my mum was playing Elvis on the TV," Santoro told AAP ahead of several performances at the festival.

"I remember seeing this God-like man in a big white jumpsuit and he was just the coolest guy I'd ever seen."

He admits going from Elvis fan to embodying the king of rock 'n' roll could be considered weird, but it was his calling.

"I would go to all the local Elvis tribute shows and I can remember coming away thinking that's what I wanted to do," Santoro said.

"Whenever I'm on stage I try to capture people's imagination and ... bring back those lovely memories."

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.