Collingwood Elvis® Festival receives Ministry of Tourism Funding

For Immediate Release

Collingwood Elvis® Festival receives Ministry of Tourism Funding
The theme is Elvis Worldwide as Festival showcases Elvis Champions from around the world

Collingwood, ON – Representatives of the Collingwood Elvis® Festival are thrilled to announce that under the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport Celebrate Ontario Festival and Event Enhancement Initiative, the Ontario Government is assisting the Festival with programming enhancements for the 2012 edition. Recognized as a signature event in the province of Ontario, the Collingwood Elvis® Festival is one of a series of festivals and events which contribute to
Ontario’s prosperity, culture and quality of life.

This funding will allow the Collingwood Elvis Festival to become a truly worldwide event, as these funds will be used, in part, to bring Champion Elvis Tribute Artists from around the world to Collingwood this July. Confirmations have already been received from Brazil, Japan, Australia, Germany, Ireland, Scotland and England. Festival attendees will be treated to the best of the best of the world’s Elvis Tribute Artists.

A portion of the funding will also be devoted to bring several VIPs to the Festival – people who knew and worked with Elvis throughout his career. These include Jerry Schilling, a confidante of Elvis who worked and travelled with him for more than 23 years and Elvis’ co-star from Kissin’ Cousins, Cynthia Pepper. Also confirmed for the event is Sam Thompson, part of the ‘inner circle’ and Elvis’ personal bodyguard and tour advance man, and Lowell Hayes, Elvis’ jeweler.

The Collingwood Elvis Festival is a four-day celebration of the life, music and career of Elvis Presley. Annually recreating the nostalgia of an era, the Collingwood Elvis Festival delivers family-friendly, multi-generational music
programming centred around a household name and musical icon, all in an effort to promote Collingwood and its surrounding region as a leading tourist destination.

Sanctioned & licensed with Elvis Presley Enterprises Inc. since 1997, the Collingwood Elvis Festival is also recognized as one of the original qualifying locations for the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest in Memphis, Tennessee, which originated in 2007.

This summer join friends, family, and fans in the heart of Historic Downtown Collingwood, 1 ½ hours north of Toronto on the shores of beautiful Georgian Bay, for four days of unparalleled entertainment. The 18th Annual Collingwood Elvis Festival takes place July 26 – 29, 2012.
Visit www.collingwoodelvisfestival.com now for more details on performance dates, locations, and prices.

The Collingwood Elvis Festival is presented in partnership with the Town of Collingwood, Collingwood Downtown, Collingwood Chamber of Commerce, Blue Mountain Resorts Ltd., OLG, Molson Coors, and the Government of Ontario.

© The Collingwood Elvis Festival is a licensee of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.
Elvis and Elvis Presley are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc., a subsidiary of CKX, Inc.

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For more information, contact:
Collingwood Elvis Festival
media@collingwoodelvisfestival.com
1-866-444-1162 ext. 3279