The Tup elo Elvis Fest ival ARTICLE BY BRANDI PERRY, PHOTOS BY DORI LOWE
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hildren in Mississippi learn at an early age that Elvis Presley was born in Tupelo. Even though he did not spend much of his life in Mississippi, it is where the King of Rock and Roll got his start and his first guitar. The Tupelo Elvis Festival does a tremendous job at paying its respects to its local legend while also celebrating the impact he had on other towns, Elvis Tribute Artists, and other musicians
Images from event Facebook page 32 • June/July 2022
around the world. One thing is for sure, a trip to Tupelo for this festival is something everyone should experience at least once in their lives. This year’s Elvis Festival will begin in Tupelo on Wednesday, June 8, and end with a tremendous gospel concert on Sunday, June 12. Elvis Presley was born in Tupelo on January 8, 1935, to Vernon and Gladys Presley in a two-room shotgun house that his father built for this special occasion. He grew up very close to his family and soon found his musical inspiration at the Assembly of God church, where his family attended. In 1946, when Elvis turned 11, his mother took him to Tupelo Hardware, where she had planned to buy him a bicycle. It is widely believed that Elvis wanted a rifle instead, but they were able to come to a compromise and settle on a new guitar. Little did Gladys know that her decision to give her son a guitar could change music history as they knew it. That guitar would rarely leave the hands of young Elvis, and before long, he could play entire songs. Tupelo Hardware is still just as busy as it was on the day that Elvis walked in, and the stories that circulate in that showroom when the visitors are in town seem to get better and better as the days wear on. Additionally, Elvis’ birthplace is much the same as it was the day it was built. The house and the museum are one of the largest tourist attractions in Tupelo and draw huge crowds during the festival. To fully understand the reasons for this festival, visitors must visit both of these locations. The Elvis Festival is held at the Bancorp Arena in Tupelo and even though you can buy
