The raison d’être for the Parkes Elvis Festival was celebrated on Tuesday in Cooke Park next to the Elvis statue with about 500 visitors and residents attending. The Parkes Boppers dance troupe and Parkes’ one and only Elvis tribute artist, Barry Green, set the tone for a festive 84th birthday celebration for the King.

Keith Clarke from Tarcutta, who shares a birthday with Elvis, had the honour of cutting the cake after his name was drawn from three more visitors sharing the same birthday. “This celebration is a nice lead in to the festival, and it is very important to recognise Elvis’s birthday,” said Lorraine Job, Secretary of Elvis Revival Inc, the Parkes Elvis
Festival founding committee.

Elvis Revival Inc and a small group of volunteers organise the annual event, which was the spark for the very first festival 27 years ago.

“It was really special to see so many people attending,” said Barry Green, who entertained the crowd with evergreen Elvis songs like ‘Return to Sender’.

Lorraine said it was also a perfect time to promote other festival events, as well as junior local talent. Free entertainment will continue in Cooke Park, known as the heart of the Parkes Elvis Festival where more than 50 top-quality entertainers will perform non-stop on the ARTC Cooke Park main stage over the next four days.

Hosted by radio personality, Dave Sutherland, the main stage will see many talented performers backed by the dynamic Fourcasters.

By Maggi Barnard

The Amazing Forbes Elvis Breakfast will once again wow visitors to Forbes on Saturday, 12th January. Set to bring you all the fun of a 60s, 70s retro carnival, the Amazing Forbes Elvis Breakfast will feature food vans, live entertainment, kids activities and more – all in the heart of the Forbes Central Business District (CBD).

Join us in Templar and Rankin Streets from 7am for free live entertainment from International Elvis Tribute Artist Che Orton, followed by chilled tunes from local artist Adam Enslow until midday. Tantalize your taste buds with visiting food vans featuring fairy floss, bagels, old-fashioned lemonade and popcorn as well as local retailers featuring special Elvis-inspired menus.

The kids will be kept entertained with face painting and free rides including a massive jumping castle and bucking bull, along with retro carnival-inspired activities throughout the morning. “We are thrilled to be hosting the amazing
Forbes Elvis Street Breakfast once again,” said Mayor of Forbes Phyllis Miller OAM.

“Last year was a raging success and this year is set to be just as much fun.” “I’m especially looking forward to trying
out some special Elvis-inspired treats from our local cafes, and we have a great range of local food vans joining the party including Sweet 3 Vintage Van, Benny’s Bagels and Bakery, and Steve’s Mega Treats,” she said.

Take advantage of special deals and discounts from local retailers, only available during the Festival period from Thursday, 10th to Sunday, 13th January.

You will also be able to enjoy a relaxed breakfast before the special shuttle bus departs at 9am to transport festival goers from the Forbes CBD to Parkes, arriving right on time for the Northparkes Street Parade.

For more information about the Amazing Forbes Elvis Breakfast, contact Forbes Shire Council on 6850 2300.

Almost eight years ago three Parkes girls came together to form a local, home-grown group called Amitie that has since grown into a class act. Shevaun Brown, Christa Radley and Christie Green met on stage as The Pink Ladies in the Parkes Musical & Dramatic (M & D) Society’s 2010 production of Grease.

They discovered an amazing harmony – not only of their voices, but of friendship too. “They’re the sisters I got to pick myself,” said Christie. “The name Amitie, meaning ‘friendship’ chosen by Shev echoes the closeness of the three.”

In 2011 the girl-band emerged with the sounds, looks and vibes of the Swinging Sixties after their hit in the M & D’s musical Downtown.

They have gone on to perform on cruise ships and at festivals, and fondly remember a ‘Rock the Boat’ cruise in 2016 playing alongside the likes of The Fortunes, The Searchers and The Troggs. “Eddy from The Fortunes came and watched all our gigs and told us how amazing we were!” Shev recalls.

Another favourite performance was last May’s ABBA Festival performing on a professional stage in front of an amazing large crowd brought to their feet by Amitie’s enthusiastic talent.

Despite all their success, they remain totally unaffected. “We just have fun,” said Christa. “When people say how good we are, or how professional we sound, we just laugh.” “It’s nice to get the recognition,” said Christie. “We’ve often heard: ‘You girls just don’t get how good you are’, but we just sing for the love of it. I do feel a sense of pride when I hear our recordings, but really, we’re just the singing housewives.”

And that’s exactly who Amitie wants to remain. Over time the trio have fallen into sync so well, and instead of getting on each other’s nerves they’ve become more tolerant of each other.

But do things ever go wrong? “Oh always!” They’ve experienced loss of voices, loss of vocal range, speakers blowing up, not being able to stand still on rocking boats, costume malfunctions… “We always forget the words or the moves.
We look out the corner of our eye and see one of the others smiling and we know something’s wrong,” said Shev, “but we don’t even blink.”

Looking to the future they don’t want to change what they’ve got. “It’s not work, it’s fun.” A booking for the odd cruise or festival would be good, but lucky for Parkes, they hope to be around for a long time to come.

“They’ll have to stop calling us ‘the girls’”, said Shev, “we’ll be grandmothers by then.” “And when we’re in our eighties in the nursing home,” said Christa, “we’ll probably be getting on stage and entertaining the other residents.”

(Amitie has 10 performances at the Parkes Elvis Festival on the Cooke Parke main stage and Memphis stage, as well as the Jack Gatto concerts and Miss Priscilla Dinner.)

By Beth Thomas

Stand Out With Hand Made Local Products
Adelarose has many treasures to be discovered, but for the festival there are vintage-inspired locally hand-made dresses, which are in high demand. Choose from beautiful flower patterns, or be more daring with a pink flamingo option. If you are not after a dress, there are also other Elvis-inspired gifts all hand made locally including knitting, cushions and even pencil drawings.

Enjoy Festival With Help Of Parkes Pharmacy
Parkes Pharmacy has all you need to keep as cool as Elvis during the festival. Look no further for all your first aid needs, and treatment of minor ailments like cuts, scrapes and burns. Beat the heat with the loads of options available to keep hydrated to ensure you can enjoy all the amazing performances. Remember it is important to keep up the electrolytes and stay cool with some ice towels.

Alaskan Malamute Inspires Hand Made Gifts
Bella-Lee Treasures was established in May 2017 after the owner Haylee Pottage lost her beloved three-year-old Alaskan Malamute called Bella to canine epilepsy. When Haylee lost Bella she found herself with empty time and picked up the hobby of making fabric jewellery and gifts. Haylee is a Parkes resident who is looking forward to sharing her products with festival goers. Drop by her market stall in Cooke Park and take a look at her Elvis Presley fabric jewellery and gifts. Find her on Facebook: Bella-Lee Treasures.

Colouby Is The Place To Get Your Elvis On
Colouby Creations in Clarinda Street is ready to Rock ‘n Roll at The Parkes Elvis Festival. If you want to go with the All Shook Up theme or need anything else Elvis-related, this is the place to pop in to for dresses, skirts, petticoats, wigs, glasses, handbags, head scarves, jumpsuits, memorabilia for guys, gals and kids – it’s all there.

Sale on at The Red Chandelier
Get All Shook Up with the 50% off sale at The Red Chandelier at 300A Clarinda Street during the festival! A good variety of women’s fashion, accessories and homewares on offer. Pop in for a good bargain.

Support Local And Homemade
Join the movement by buying handmade Elvis paraphernalia this festival. It is easy in Parkes as the Craft Corner at 227 Clarinda Street has a good selection of unique Elvis items, such as quilts, wall hangings, tea towels, portraits and many more. There are also many other craft pieces and fresh homemade food items, as well as a large selection of art, including beautiful creations by mosaic artist Sue Maddison.

Elvis Merch Galore
Visit Byrne Clothing at 233 Clarinda Street and get your All Shook Up shirts, Elvis hats, stubby holders and Hawaiian shirts, hats and lots more.

Elvis Jewellery at Nangar Gems
Do you like unique jewellery to remind you of special occasions? Nangar Gems in Clarinda Street has a limited edition Elvis charm available this year for the festival. Or you can dress the part with Pandora’s bohemian-inspired jewellery including leather bracelets!

Parkes ELVIS Festival

PHOTO COMPETITION AND EXHIBITION
Coventry Room, Parkes Library
A picture is normally worth a thousand words, but when it comes to Parkes Elvis Festival, an image is priceless. There are four categories: a smartphone, digital portrait, digital black and white, plus digital colour categories. View the collection of photos entered in the photography competition – you’ll never know who or what you will discover hidden in the photographs! Proudly supported by Harvey Norman and Adobe.
Friday: 10am – 5pm
Winners announced at 4pm!
Saturday and Sunday: 10am – 4pm

FREE MOVIES
Enjoy the cool surrounds of Parkes Library as you watch an Elvis classic.

Friday
• 10am: Jailhouse Rock
• 12pm: Elvis Lives in Parkes *
• 2pm: King Creole

Saturday
• 11.30am: King Creole
• 1pm: Elvis Lives in Parkes *
• 2.15pm: Jailhouse Rock
* SBS documentary about the Festival

The feature artist of the 27th Parkes Elvis Festival is the multitalented actor, singer, songwriter and musician Ted Torres Martin from Orlando, Florida. Parkes Elvis Festival audiences will be the very first to see him perform on his debut in Australia.

Ted’s portrayal of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll is one of the top tributes in the world. He acquired this title in Memphis Tennessee in 2011 and 2012 at competitions organised by Elvis Presley Enterprises Inc. “I am very excited about headlining the 2019 Parkes Elvis Festival in Australia, which is the biggest Elvis festival in the world! I am very honoured and look forward to entertaining all the wonderful Elvis fans in Australia!” said Ted.

He is sure to leave fans ‘All Shook Up’ appearing in four highenergy concerts celebrating Elvis Presley’s music at the Parkes Leagues Club over the next four days. He will be backed by a dynamic live Elvis band to recreate the performances that made Elvis Presley the one and only King of Rock ‘n’ Roll.

In addition to the feature concert series, Ted will appear at the 2019 Parkes Elvis Festival Street Parade, gospel service and Renewal of Vows Ceremony. Ted is one of the top tribute artists in the world, and has toured the United States, Germany, Austria, Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore.

Other accolades include 2016 ‘Images Of The King’ World Champion; 2016 1st place Fan Favourite at ‘Images of the King’ in Las Vegas; 2014 ‘Heart Of The King’ Award; and 2014 Vocalist for the soundtrack of the Elvis-based independent short film ‘Nobody’.

Parkes Elvis Festival Director Cathy Treasure said: “Ted has a great reputation for putting on an unforgettable show and we look forward to seeing this when he takes to the stage in Parkes.”

This local group of young dancers have become synonymous with the festival since 2015 when The Parkes Little Boppers began with a group of six local year 5 and 6 students. They thought it would be a fun idea to participate in the festival.

The group has now grown to 17 children, ranging from 6 to 16 years, and have a junior and senior troupe.

The Boppers started rehearsing for the 2019 Parkes Elvis Festival in November last year with dance routines choreographed by a member of the Boppers, Gracey Denham Jones, under guidance of manager Maureen Massey.
Maureen is extremely proud of the commitment made by each member of the Boppers troupe.

The Boppers will be performing every day at the Parkes Leagues Club and will take part in the Rock ‘n’ Roll and Showcase competitions in Cooke Park on Saturday. They will also take time to visit and entertain the residents of Niola Aged Care, and a range of other appearances during the week.

Be sure to give them a friendly wave and take photos with the troupe when you see them out and about. You can find them on Instagram for dates and times of appearances.

The Parkes Elvis Festival is “All Shook Up” and ready to deliver yet another year of unforgettable family fun, with an estimated turnout of over 26,000 people travelling to Parkes to celebrate the legend that is Elvis. A highlight on the yearly calendar for many music-aficionados (myself included!), it’s remarkable to consider the event’s small and humble beginnings – a simple idea sparked by a few Elvis fans at a fancy dress party back in 1993. It’s a testament
to the dedication of the organisers and the welcoming spirit of the people of Parkes that this event rapidly grew into the internationally renowned phenomenon it is today!

Of course, just like the Elvis Festival took on a life of its own to attract people from near and far, it looks like the same will happen with Vanfest in the “amazing” town of Forbes.

Two great reasons to visit the Central West with the Elvis Festival in Parkes in January and Vanfest in Forbes on 10th and 11th May!

Congratulations to the organisers of the 2019 Parkes Elvis Festival for putting together a fantastic program for what shapes up to be another outstanding celebration of one of rock and roll’s icons – the great Elvis Presley.

I have had the pleasure to don an Elvis costume several times for previous festivals and it is impossible not to get swept up in the excitement with thousands of others, whether they be die-hard Elvis fans or people who just can’t help falling in love with all the fun the festival creates.

The professionalism of Parkes Elvis Festival organisers and the value of their work to Parkes and the wider Central West was recognised recently when the event was named best festival in the State at the 2018 NSW Tourism Awards.

The 2018 festival drew more than 25,000 people to Parkes and injected $13 million into the regional economy. The Elvis festival is always on my mind, so everyone put on your blue suede shoes, it’s now or never to get ready for one of regional Australia’s greatest rock and roll parties.

Parkes is used to doing things on a large scale, but last Thursday a new chapter of once-in-a-generation proportions started as the first sod was turned to mark a historic moment for the construction of the multibillion dollar Inland Rail project.

“The project is bigger than Elvis, even in Parkes,” said Prime Minister Scott Morrison on video before the large gathering of over 200 people stepped outside where the first 5.3km of new rail for Inland Rail will be built.

A double-stacked freight train came around the bend near the intersection of Coopers Road and Brolgan Road, and local Nelungaloo farmer and owner of adjacent land, Warren Skinner, stepped from the train to hand a 106-year-old shovel to Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack.

“A fantastic event for the heart of Australia and Australian rail. This day will be looked back on as a momentous occasion. The first 600 tonnes of steel have been delivered, using Australian steel from Whyalla. Nothing this large ever happens easy,” said the Deputy Prime Minister.

In addition to the 5.3km of new rail, another 98km of existing corridors will be upgraded between Parkes to Narromine for the first phase. “When Inland Rail is operational, Parkes will be an important hub with double stacked, 1,800 metre trains connecting west to Perth and Adelaide and along the east coast between Melbourne and Brisbane,” said ARTC CEO John Fullerton.

Inland Rail CEO Richard Wankmuller said a resilient rail network would be built, with multiple pathways to meet the needs of customers while also providing flexibility for farmers by connecting to existing regional freight lines.

As for the economic benefits of the project, ARTC Chairman Warren Truss highlighted the fact that Inland Rail would generate opportunities and benefits to the regions – 16,000 jobs and $16 billion dollars to the economy and will stimulate business activity beyond the construction phase.

In Parkes several businesses have already started reaping benefits with the awarding of the $310 million contract for the first leg of Inland Rail between Parkes and Narromine to INLink Joint Venture.

“We are shopping local and have already spent over $120,000 across local businesses in Parkes, including Sullivan’s Mining and Hardware, Totally Workwear, Hays Hardware, Andrews Auto Electric, Signs You See and Regional Business Supplies,” said Project Director Gerard O’Connor. He said the project would also provide close to 100 job opportunities for local residents.

“We believe it is important to work closely with local communities along the alignment, and we have already made a start by engaging with local sports teams and educational institutions.”

By Beth Thomas and Maggi Barnard