Elvis Festival Parkes, NSW

Some fun news this week.  Photographs that I've taken are being featured in the 2011 Elvis Festival Calendar.
If you've never been to the Elvis festival and you're a fan, or just curious, it's a great trip.
It takes place in Parkes, NSW, home of the radio telescope featured in the Australian hit movie 'The Dish'. 
Parkes and Forbes, the nearby towns, are historic wheat towns and as such have a large amount of industry on the outskirts. Drive in to both towns however, and you'll come across some sweet old houses and beautiful scenery.  Forbes, just ten minutes down the highway from Parkes has more old houses than Parkes, but Parkes is where it's all happening.The Elvis festival began one night as the brainchild of a couple of Elvis fans who owned a restaurant.  They held an Elvis theme night and the rest as they say, is history.
In 2010, enough visitors to the Elvis festival manage to double Parke's population and the festival is growing each year.  It's now held over 5 days and hosts over 140 events.

If you're a photographer it's a dream come true.  Some are there for the silly costumes but others take it all very seriously, with full 50's, 60's or 70's regalia and the classic cars are divine.

You can get the Elvis Express from Sydney if you don't want to go by car, and it's certainly an experience.   It's a Countrylink train which is loaded with Elvis impersonators, so your journey is somewhat interesting.  Thrown in to the price is the entertainment, some gigs at the festival and access to the festival shuttle bus which takes you from venue to venue.  Well worth it if you don't fancy walking for hours!
I try to go every year and it's a blast.  This year I may even be convinced to dress up.
Whilst I've had a lot of photographs published in the past, the Elvis Calendar is so far the coolest.  :D