Homegrown Parkes is back for 2025, pro­viding an opportunity for visitors and locals to fill their Saturday in Parkes with plenty of good food and local produce next Sat­urday, 29 March between 9am and 2pm in Cooke Park.

Homegrown Parkes provides an oppor­tunity for local and regional businesses who are processing, repurposing, sewing, propagating or producing fabulous local products to share their skill and products with the community.

Demonstrations will again be one of the highlights of the 2025 events, highlighting processes for using locally produced food and products, with the aim of encouraging locals to grow produce in their own back­yard.

The Homegrown Parkes Committee con­sists of members of Central West Lachlan Landcare, Parkes Community Arts and Parkes Shire Council.

If you are interested in joining the Home­grown Parkes events, make sure you fol­low their social media, check out their website: centralwestlachlanlandcare.org/get-involved/homegrown-parkes/ or con­tact Marg Applebee on 0418 611 053 or via email homegrownparkes@gmail.com The Homegrown Parkes spring event will be held on Saturday, 11 October.

Get ready to be inspired as the immensely talented Julee-anne Bell and acclaimed pianist Melissa Buchholz join forces to pre­sent Perfectly Imperfect, a captivating musical experience at the Parkes Uniting Church. Scheduled for Wednesday, 26 March at 7pm, this show promises to leave audiences buzzing long after the final note. There is also a community vocal workshop from 4pm5:30pm open to anyone who loves to sing.

Julee-anne Bell, who soared to fame as a standout contestant on The Voice Australia in 2021, captured hearts nationwide with her stunning vocals and magnetic personality. Despite being blind since birth, Julee-anne’s extraordinary talent and unwavering de­termination to break down barriers have inspired countless indi­viduals from all walks of life. Joining her on this incredible journey is the illustrious Melissa Buchholz, a professional pianist with over 35 years of experience. Melissa’s musical prowess has taken her from Australia to stages around the globe, where she has accom­panied some of the world’s top artists.

Perfectly Imperfect is not just a concert; it’s a celebration of resilience, talent, and the power of music to unite us all. Expect an evening filled with unforgettable melodies and heartfelt sto­ries that resonate on a deeply personal level. Audiences will find themselves transported through Julee-anne’s powerful voice and Melissa’s masterful piano, forging a connection that is as real as it is relevant.

Everyone’s welcome to join us at the Parkes Uniting Church and witness the magic of Perfectly Imperfect. Mark your calendars for Tuesday 26th of March at 7pm. Tickets are available now at https://www.trybooking.com/CYTPZ

The RAS Foundation will partner with Central West family and domestic vio­lence awareness organisation, Birds in the Bush, for its 2025 RAS Foundation Charity Brunch to help raise funds for family and domestic violence refuges in the Central West region.

Hosted annually at the Sydney Royal Easter Show, the RAS Foundation Charity Brunch brings RAS Members and Council­lors together to help raise funds for vital re­gional causes or organisations.

RAS Foundation Manager, Cecilia Lo­gan said “Birds in the Bush is an inspiring volunteer-led organisation that provides a voice for family and domestic violence in the Central West and the RAS Foundation is delighted to have them as the recipi­ents of our 2025 RAS Foundation Charity Brunch to help improve important facili­ties,” Logan said.

Birds in the Bush Founder, Vanessa Vasquez said “We are grateful to be the beneficiary of the RAS Foundation Charity Brunch. As a regional grassroots organisa­tion, dedicated to highlighting the unique experience of family and domestic violence in bush communities.”

The 2025 RAS Foundation Charity Brunch will take place on April 16 at the Sydney Royal Easter Show and will be hosted by the RAS Foundation and Birds in the Bush committees.

Tickets are available to RAS Members via (www.rasf.org.au). If you are not a RAS Member and are interested in attending, you can contact foundation@rasf.org.au.

The Anglican Parish of Parkes and Peak Hill is thrilled to celebrate 150 years of faith, fel­lowship, and service to the community on the weekend of 21–23 February 2025.

This momentous occasion marks a rich history of faith and community, and the par­ish warmly invites everyone to join in the celebrations. “We’re thankful to God for the past 150 years of serving our community” said the Reverend Ben Mackay, “and we’re looking forward to what God will do in the years to come.”

The weekend will feature a series of spe­cial events including:

Friday, 21 February

• 4pm Open House: Come and explore the historic St George’s Parkes church build­ing, view fascinating memorabilia, and enjoy live music performed by talented local musicians.

• 7pm Guest Talk by Simon Smart: Simon Smart, from the Centre for Public Chris­tianity, will deliver an intriguing talk titled “How The Church Is Better and Worse Than You Ever Imagined”.

Saturday, 22 February

• 6pm Celebration Dinner: A formal dinner will be held, featuring a keynote speaker and reflections on the parish’s journey through the years.

Sunday, 23 February

• 10am Celebration and Thanksgiving Ser­vice: A joyful worship service to thank God for His faithfulness and to celebrate the future of the parish.

The parish has a proud history, first formed in 1875 after which the first timber church was built. After the original church burned down, it was replaced with a brick church.

Finally, the current St George’s church, a stunning cathedral-like building located on the corner of Church and Hill Streets, was built in 1927 and extended in the 1950s.

Over the years, the Anglican church has played a vital role in the life of Parkes, of­fering spiritual support, community events, and a place and community of refuge to all in Parkes. In addition to St George’s Parkes, the parish is blessed to include St Stephen’s Peak Hill, St Stephen’s Bindogundra, and Holy Trinity Reedy Creek.

Ben Mackay added: “We warmly invite all community members to be part of this cel­ebration. Whether you’re a long-time parish­ioner, a neighbour, or simply curious about the history and central role of the church in the Parkes community, we’d love to wel­come you to this special weekend. We are blessed with a wonderful church family and a beautiful building that has been shared with the community for generations.”

Come and join the celebrations as Parkes Anglican gives thanks for 150 years of ministry and look ahead to what God has in store for the future! For more informa­tion about the celebrations, or to RSVP to the formal dinner, please contact the parish office at 02 6862 1868 or visit our website parkesanglican.org.au

Emilio Santoro has been an Elvis Presley fan since the age of four. “This is because of my mum listening to Elvis music con­stantly around the house. I would go see the local Elvis tribute acts from a young age and remember thinking that I wanted to do that one day.” said Emilio. He’s been an Elvis tribute artist since the age of 13, and now at 22, he has been lucky enough to have travelled the world singing the best music ever made.

“I have been to Australia a few times within the last year. Every time I come to Australia, I absolutely love it. The first time I heard about The Parkes Elvis Festival must’ve been when I was around 15 years old. Ever since then it has been a dream to headline the festival, so I am so fortunate that my dreams are coming true. I person­ally believe that other than Memphis, this is the biggest and craziest Elvis festival you will find” said Charlie.

The Parkes Ultimate Tribute Artist com­petition is a great stepping stone for any ETA who wants to get into the Ultimate in Memphis. Australia has so many great ETA who I have met along the way and each of them deserve their chance at a shot in the Ultimate, and that’s what Emilio did, winning the Elvis Presley Enterprises Ulti­mate Tribute Artist in August 2024 “It has changed my life completely so I would highly recommend it to any Elvis tribute”.

“The best way to describe winning the Ultimate is it being the Super Bowl of the Elvis tribute world. The thing that makes it so special to me, is I personally believe that this is the closest thing any Elvis tribute can get to a thumbs up from the man upstairs.”

Riley Jenkins is a multi award-winning Elvis Tribute Artist. When Riley Jenkins turned 14 years old, as a birthday present, his grand­mother took him to his first ever Elvis Week in Memphis. “I was scared to death about performing, but this amazing Elvis Family of ours welcomed me with open arms” said RileyRiley’s has been named 2019 Elvis FANtasy Fest Grand Cham­pion, the 2021 Heart of the King Horizon Award, the 2023 Nashville Elvis Festival Grand Champion, and the 2024 Branson Elvis Festi­val Grand Champion. This August, Riley placed as one of the Top 5 Finalists of the 2024 Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest held every year at Graceland in Memphis. But Riley says, “The fact that I get to sing the music of my hero, Elvis Aaron Presley, for a living, for the biggest Elvis fans! That right there is the greatest gift of all.”

This year is not just Riley’s first time at the Parkes Elvis Festival, but is his very first time coming to Australia. “I’m so excited to be taking part in the largest Elvis festival in all of Australia!! This has been such a dream of mine, and I’m excited to meet all the wonder­ful Australian Elvis Fans” he said”“I think what makes the music of Elvis’ early days so special is that it’s timeless and just all about having fun and expressing oneself.

That 50’s and early 60’s rock ‘n’ roll music just makes you want to get up and dance.”

We asked Riley what keeps bringing Elvis fans out in droves all around the world? he said “It’s Elvis himself. There has never been and never will be another performer or entertainer of any kind that will ever even come close to Elvis Presley. We’ve had many greats, but only one King.”

At Parkes Dance Co., we’re all about pas­sion, teamwork, and creating unforgettable memories through dance. Since I took over the studio in 2022, we’ve grown into a vi­brant community with more than 250 stu­dents attending over 60 classes a week.

With an incredible team of five teachers, we’re helping dancers aged from 1.5 years to 18 find their groove and confidence, one step at a time.

The Elvis Festival has been a highlight for us since 2018, but in 2022, things re­ally took off, thanks to our Pro Rock’n’Roll teacher, Miss Gracey, we’ve taken our performances to the next level. Last year, our senior team stole the show by winning the group showcase, and our Rock’n’Roll partners were absolute standouts in their competition.

We’d love for you to come and cheer us on! Here’s where you can catch our perfor­mances:

• Thursday 9 January at 3pm, Elvis Train at Parkes Train Station

• Friday 10 January at 11:35am, Cooke Park Main Stage

• Saturday11 January in the Elvis Parade through the streets of Parkes

• Saturday 11 January at 3:15pm, Cooke Park Main Stage Showcase

Our 2025 Elvis team includes 40 dancers across three groups: juniors, intermedi­ates, and seniors. Each group will perform two routines including a high-energy group number and a classic Rock’n’Roll Partner dance, nder Miss Gracey’s guidance.

What you see on stage is just the tip of the iceberg. We started rehearsals way back in November, meeting weekly to fine-tune every step, spin, and dip. The commitment from our students, parents, and teachers is incredible. From late-night rehearsals to costume fittings, everyone pitches in.

So come along, bring your friends, and soak up the magic of Rock’n’Roll! We can’t wait to share the stage with our amazing dancers and be part of the energy that makes the Elvis Festival so special.

Thanks so much,
Miss Jess