Bob & Anne’s ‘Burning Love’ For Elvis

The 29th Parkes Elvis Festival is one Bob and Anne Steel would rather forget. Not because the festival’s traditional January time slot was moved to April, but they both had COVID and had to isolate in their home a mere stone’s throw from Cooke Park.

As the founders of the now world-renowned festival, the pandemic was not going to stop them working from home, but by Sunday their tests were negative, and they took their chairs to Cooke Park. “We sat by ourselves enjoying the last two hours of the main stage program,” said Anne, who has been an Elvis fan since she first heard him at 11 years old.

“From the very first Parkes Elvis Festival in 1993 when it went pretty well and people loved it, I wanted it to last this long. I am very happy we have reached the 30-year milestone.”

Bob feels the festival has created many new Elvis fans. “In the beginning many of the guys said they just came along with their wives, but they caught the vibe very quickly.”

Despite some fierce opposition from people in Parkes who did not think it was right to honour a ‘drug addict’ with a festival, an Elvis Revival Incorporated committee was formed after the first event to start organising the next one.

It soon became clear there were many more Elvis fans than they had expected. “We had a story in the paper asking for any Elvis memorabilia and you would not believe what came out of the woodwork from people you would never believe would have any,” said Anne.

And that is how the festival started growing. “Every year people would bring their friends with them, and their friends would bring more friends,” said Bob. “It became known as a family orientated event for all ages with good and wholesome entertainment. You did not have to be an Elvis fan to have a good time.”

Thanks to the lamington drives, and endless raffle tickets sold, the committee started to cover their expenses. Anne clearly remembers the first time they received a $300 grant from Parkes Shire Council to help them with advertising.

Anne also felt very strongly they needed to get more locals on board and the idea of entertainment in the park was born. “We wanted to give something to people who could not afford to go away on holiday to be part of the festival. They could make their vegemite sandwich and bring a bottle of water to the park and have a good time.”

Looking back over 30 years, it is the fun and hard work of the early festivals that bring back lots of memories and smiles for Bob and Anne.

“The second year our theme was Clambake and we turned our staff car park at Gracelands into a beach,” remembers Anne, who was also responsible for the dinner that was part of the program.

“Our Roustabout year in 1999, we were still at Gracelands, and we set up a carnival in the staff car park. Bob built sideshows around the car park, we had a gypsy fortune teller, and the carnival people came with their cotton candy and with clowns.”

Bob remembers taking Wall of Fame honoree Judy Stone, who was big on TV at the time, on her first ever bike ride to Forbes where her grandmother grew up. “It was her birthday on the 1st of January and we gave her a cake. She cried and said she had never had a cake.”

After some years of winning hearts and minds, things really took off in 2007 with the first big stage in Cooke Park. Little did they know that the crowd of about 4,000 that year would multiply six-fold about ten years later, and the big stage would become a permanent stage with a five-day program featuring international tribute artists. 

For Anne, who shares a special connection with Elvis as he died on her birthday, seeing how their initiative had exploded into attracting 24,000 plus people could not make them happier.

“It makes us feel extremely good, and we can’t wait for the 30th anniversary,” said the pair.