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Elvis Lives On Down Under

What do you get when a small town some six hours from Sydney decides it wants to make itself famous? You get an Elvis Festival in a place that has absolutely no link to the guy at all.

But if you're an Elvis fan that shouldn't stop you time-warping right this instant to Parkes in inland New South Wales, where as we speak the Parkes Elvis Festival is up and swinging. With Elvis impersonators on every corner, special Elvis movie screenings, even Elvis in the Park Markets, the four-day festival brings in a million dollars a year directly to the 10,000 member town (and generates eight times that indirectly), and that ain't peanuts!

It all culminates this weekend with the Elvis Sportsmans Dinner; dress is optionally smart casual, or rock 'n' roll. But is it a case of true Elvis devotion or a way to strip tourists of their bucks? You decide.

[Photo: King'76]

Related Stories:
· Parkes All Shook Up [ABC Online]