Tupelo pays tribute to Elvis Presley with annual festival

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – The annual festival paying tribute to the memory of Tupelo’s most famous native son is underway. The Tupelo Elvis Festival began Wednesday evening with a gala at the Cotton Mill.

Past winners of the Elvis Tribute Artist competition took the stage for a full house. This is the 25th Tupelo Elvis Festival and host Tom Brown said last year’s blockbuster movie starring Austin Butler, has brought younger generations into the Elvis world.

Brown said Tupelo has a special place in the Elvis world.

“If you only go through Graceland you can’t imagine where he came from until you go through the birthplace and imagine that young boy, with all other boys of all colors, of the same economic strata, they were all together. I think the movie really portrayed that and I think the story of Elvis really begins in Tupelo. I always say, what happened in Memphis was born in Tupelo and that’s so true,” said Brown.

Elvis Fest continues through June 11. The Elvis Tribute Artist competition starts Friday, June 9 and the winner is announced Saturday.

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