Photo: Deborah Pfeiffer

Entertaining the crowd at Elvis festival

Elvis tribute artists signed autographs, took pictures with fans and performed at Okanagan Lake Park on Saturday.

It was all to honour the legacy of the King of Rock and Roll at the 2017 Penticton Elvis Festival.

"The event has been incredible," said Terri Bremner, the director of ETAs, VIPs and headliners. "Everybody has brought their game and the amount of talent we have this year is just beyond. You can tell everyone is working hard and wants to win."

The festival started in 2001 and gets bigger and better every year.

Festival chairman Damon Bremner said he believes it has become a truly international festival.

"We've had winners from Germany, Scotland and England and we have ETAs from England, Spain, the U.S. and across Canada this year," he said.

On Saturday the competition continued, with tribute artists also entertaining the crowd with fun songs.

Danny Vernon from Seattle left the stage and went out into the crowd, cracking jokes along the way.

Corny Rempel from Steinbach, Manitoba was busy signing autographs.

"I've been an ETA for 17 years and this is my 12th year here," said Rempel. "I like the people here they pour out so much love and support, so how could I not come back."

Fan Shelley-Ann Zemlak, nicknamed Marilyn Monroe, comes from Kelowna every year.

"I've been a huge Elvis fan since I was 12 and this is my 10th year coming to this," she said. "In 2017  I am even going to Graceland."

While Darlene Luniw drives up from Surrey to the festival because she loves the music.

"I went to an Elvis show at the Empire Stadium in Vancouver in 1957 and I've been a fan ever since," she said. "He was so versatile, made change in the  music world and was a very caring and giving man, more than people know."

For more information on the Elvis festival, through Sunday, go here.

Photo: Deborah Pfeiffer

Fans at Elvis festival