Events
Alectown Tourism
The proposed Alectown Tourist Precinct will support the Parkes Council Destination Strategy by focusing on attracting and retaining families, grey nomads, Aussie road trippers, visitors to friends and day trippers.
Alectown’s strategic location along the Newell Highway provides an opportunity to encourage travellers to slow down, stop and stay overnight while discovering the attractions and experiences of the Central West.
Elvis Festival Parks (around 20kms from Alectown)
The Parkes Elvis Festival is an annual event celebrating the music and the legend of Elvis Presley. The festival attracts 25,000 fans with a global reach of 1.8 billion. The first festival in 1993 was a one-night performance that attracted 300 attendees. It is now a five-day festival recognised as one of the top three Festivals and Events in Australia.
Held every year in the second week in January, the Festival coincides with Elvis Presley’s birthday. In January 2025 the festival will celebrate its 32nd year.
ABBA Festival Trundle
The world-famous Trundle ABBA Festival is Australia’s only festival that is dedicated to ABBA festival, held annually in the central west New South Wales town of Trundle. It features all the live music of ABBA plus reason to dress in your best 70s clothes. There are dress-up competitions, multiple band venues and dance floors, and record-breaking events.
Parkes Shire Council
Parkes is home to important other astro-tourism experiences, major events, festivals, nature-based experiences, and emerging contemporary visitor experiences. The Parkes Council Visitor Marketing Strategy vision is by 2030 Parkes will be a must-stop destination for visitors and business travellers to the Central West.
Main Visitor Markets
Parkes Council destination management planning process is to focus Parkes Shire destination marketing initiatives on growing overnight visitation with intention of attracting repeat and new visitors and encouraging them to stop, stay and explore the area.