Certain Parkes Elvis Festival shows have sold out for the first time in its 30-year history, as organisers prepare for what they anticipate could be a record turnout.
This year's five-day event began on Wednesday, attracting people from across the world to celebrate the life and music of rock'n'roll legend Elvis Presley.
Buskers in Elvis suits or Hawaiian shirts, inspired by this year's Blue Hawaii theme in a nod to the king's starring role in the 1961 movie, sprawled through the main street drawing crowds.
Today, festival-goers will be joined by many more aboard the Elvis Express train from Sydney, with dozens of performances and other events including the parade still to come.
Festival director Tiffany Steel said this year was expected to be one of the biggest festivals the central west NSW town had ever seen.
In recent years the annual festival regularly doubled the town's usual population of nearly 12,000 people.
Ms Steel has grown up with the event, after her parents founded it three decades ago.
"We have never seen tickets sales as big as they've been this early in the week," she said.
"We have sold out shows on Wednesday and Thursday for the first time in festival history."
Mayor Ken Keith agreed there could be a record crowd of more than 25,000, which he said would be a huge boost after years of COVID and devastating recent flooding in the region.
"Getting that influx of people back into town and supporting our local businesses is just so vital this year," he said.
"It's great for the region; it's estimated to be worth about $15 million to the regional economy, and that will help boost all the communities in the central west."
Councillor Keith said crowds and performers travelled from all over the country and sometimes the world to celebrate Elvis in Parkes.
"We have two of the best tribute artists in the world performing," he said.
Matthew Birse is one of the many people travelling to be at the event, driving 12 hours from Adelaide to perform.
"We've been coming up from Adelaide each year since 2014 and we're ready to bring it on and entertain the crowd for another year."
He said the festival kept people coming back every year because of the legacy of Elvis.
"Elvis is just the pinnacle; it's hard to describe, but he is the biggest and most influential entertainer of our time."
Small town on the big stage
Councillor Keith said it was the special nature of the town that kept Elvis lovers coming back.
"I think it's the friendly nature of everyone, they want to come here and have a good time," he said.
"Charles Stone, who was Elvis's concert organiser for five years after his comeback special, was here last year and he described it as the best Elvis festival in the world because nothing else has the atmosphere that Parkes has."
Mr Birse agreed that there was nothing else quite like it.
"It's amazing, it's like a mecca for Elvis fans to come every year."
