Lake George Elvis Festival Changed Venue For 2009

Painted Pony Festival Grounds to Host Elvis Tribute Artist Competition May 28-31; Dinner with Tribute Artists; and Two Vegas-Style Shows

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Joe Ramsey of Glens Falls performs at Shepherd's Park during the 2008 Lake George Elvis Festival

LAKE GEORGE, NY (01/07/2009)(readMedia)--

The sixth edition of the Lake George Elvis Festival (May 28-31) may be more than four months away, but organizers are already busy at work creating a slew of exciting changes to make this year's family-friendly extravaganza the most memorable to date.

The biggest - and perhaps the most exciting addition to the event from previous years - is the shift in venue for the centerpiece Elvis Tribute Artist (ETA) competition from the Lake George Forum to the Painted Pony Festival Grounds in nearby Lake Luzerne.

"The Painted Pony Festival Grounds is going to be a wonderful new location for our popular three-day ETA competition," said Jason Sherry, director of the Lake George Elvis Festival, referring to the colorful contest in which more than 65 ETAs from around the world compete in three divisions (professional, non-professional and youth) for $8,000 in cash prizes. The Lake George Elvis Festival is a preliminary contest in the official Ultimate Elvis( Tribute Artist Contest, a worldwide contest seeking to capture the essence of the King of Rock 'N' Roll. The winner of the Lake George Elvis Festival will earn a spot in The 2009 Ultimate Elvis( Tribute Artist Contest finals, presented by Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. in Memphis during the annual Elvis Week, August 8-16.

"The site features an expansive covered pavilion that seats 2,300 people," explained Sherry. "The facility's indoor seating with exposed sides provides attendees with much more of a festival-type atmosphere than we've had in the past. And, since the pavilion's bleacher seats are elevated, ticket holders will have a much better view of performers on stage than they've had in the past."

Known for its championship rodeo and outstanding Texas barbecue, the Painted Pony Festival Grounds will also be the site of the inaugural Friday and Saturday night "Dinners with the Tribute Artists."

The event's Italian dinner buffet (Friday night) and barbecue buffet (Saturday night) will provide Elvis fans with an opportunity to get to know the tribute artists in more of an intimate, relaxed setting. Starting at 6 p.m. nightly (between the end of the ETA competition and the beginning of each evening's Big Show), the meals will take place at the Saloon, just a stone's throw from the festival's main pavilion. Tickets for the dinner, which also include a tasty vegetarian option, are $22 per person and are now on sale.

"All of our competing and headlining tribute artists have been invited to these dinners, so they'll provide a perfect opportunity for guests to pull up a chair and meet many of the performers in person," said Sherry. "We're planning to install a sound system in the Saloon just in case any of them want to sing!"

Located on Howe Road, just six miles from the festival's events in Lake George Village, the Painted Pony Festival Grounds will also play host to the weekend's two big Vegas-style shows - "The Great Pretenders: Elvis and Friends" and "On Stage: 1969 Opening Night at the International."

"The Great Pretenders: Elvis and Friends," set for Friday night at 8:30 p.m. in the main pavilion, will feature tribute artists taking the stage as Elvis and other pop legends. Ticket holders will be able to sing along with Dwight Icenhower as Elton John, Ted Torres as Ricky Nelson, Robert Washington as James Brown and Irv Cass as Tom Jones. Backed up by The Change of Habit Tribute Band, last year's champions Gino Minopoli and Joe Ramsey will also pay tribute to the King of Rock and Roll. Tickets are $35-$100 and are currently on sale.

Elvis fans can also relive the excitement and memory of Elvis at the height of his career in Saturday's grand finale, "On Stage: 1969 Opening Night at the International." The show celebrates the 40th anniversary of Elvis' return to the live stage in Las Vegas and features Dwight Icenhower, along with Ronny Craig and The Change of Habit Tribute Band. The curtain rises on the show at 8:30 p.m. Tickets are $35-$100 and are currently on sale.

For more information, a complete schedule of events and tickets for the "Dinners with the Tribute Artists," as well as the weekend's ticket package, which includes tickets to Friday's "Elvis and Friends" and Saturday's "On Stage: 1969 Opening Night at the International" shows, visit LakeGeorgeElvisFest.com, or call (518) 681-7452.

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About Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.

Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. (EPE) is based in Memphis, with additional offices in Los Angeles. In addition to Graceland and its related attractions in Memphis, including the Heartbreak Hotel, EPE is aggressively involved in a worldwide licensing program, merchandising, music publishing, and television, film, video and Internet projects. For more information on EPE and Graceland, visit www.elvis.com . EPE is a subsidiary of CKX, Inc. (www.ckx.com), a publicly traded company listed on the NASDAQ Global Market(r) under the ticker symbol CKXE.