Kenny and Sue McGrath have been volunteering at Parkes Elvis Festival for 30 years, now their kids are too

For 30 years the festival has relied on volunteers to help keep it moving, like cogs in a well-oiled machine - even when Parkes Shire Council hopped on board from 2003 to save the festival from folding, volunteers were needed.

And quietly working away behind the curtains this entire time, answering the call, has been one couple Kenny and Sue McGrath.

It's become such a big part of their lives - quite like festival founders Bob and Anne Steel - this volunteering, that it's been passed down a generation with Kenny and Sue's eight children all helping out in some way over the years.

Why do they do it? They just simply love their town and the experience.

"It's the best thing you could do," Kenny said.

"We've met some fabulous people, I think that's the main thing about it is the friendships. It's not everyday you have dinner with Angry Anderson or Little Patty or Rob EG," Sue said.

The pair, who are 70 and 66 years old now, have been on the Parkes Elvis Revival Inc committee since 1993, back then any hands available did the lot - the organising, setting up tables and chairs, packing and cleaning up, and even the washing up at Gracelands restaurant.

"When we first started we only had a few people, never thinking it was going to grow to the way it did," Kenny said.

Sue's first job was organising the markets and since then has been treasurer and secretary of the committee, and worked at Elvis Central.

Kenny, who's been a Parkes Shire councillor for a touch longer (33 years) than a volunteer, has been president and vice president, and has helped out with the street busking, Wall of Fame event and the markets.

"We just do as we're told, help where we're needed, and have fun," he said.

They're among the most experienced of the volunteers that Sue has been appointed volunteer coordinator and has been for at least 10 years.

As the festival grew and with it the program, volunteer portfolios were created so there was a coordinator for each area. At the moment there are 12 portfolios.

Kenny is currently the busking portfolio holder, offered to him about six years ago.

When more of a volunteer program first started, Sue remembers there were about 20 volunteers. Now it's 140 and it includes people from out of town.

She considers them the faces of the festival.

"There were ladies on the train who'd arrive and go and collect their uniform from Elvis Central," Sue said.

"It was their first time and they had a ball."

"People need to thank the volunteers wherever they see them," Kenny added, reflecting on the special contribution volunteers make to the festival.

Three of their children, Kelly from the Central Coast, Ashley from Orange and Jack, are the current helpers returning in January 2023 for the 30^th anniversary.

Ashley, who has even entered the Miss Priscilla competition in the past, actually has a portfolio now, that being the competitions.

Last year she stepped in to help out with the Miss Priscilla competition when Bob and Anne had Covid-19.

"It makes you proud to see the kids involved," Sue said.

"Jack as a kid always wanted to run Elvis Central," she laughed.

Like many others from the early days, there were times Kenny thought the festival would fold and said without council there would be no festival.

"Mayor Robert Wilson and MP Tony McGrane (originally from Forbes), they really got us going. Robert put so much time and energy into it," Kenny said.

"Now (Mayor) Ken Keith has taken over and carried it on."

"We knew that council or someone - we had hoped council would - had to take it on," Sue added.

"I think with the festival, it's still a friendly festival, it's stayed a friendly festival," Kenny said.

"We had police from Sydney here one year and I asked them what they thought and they said 'we can't believe the behaviour'."

And as Kelly Hendry, council's former tourism manager, put it "Parkes is such a giving community", so much so locals will stop and pick a swivel of Elvii up on their long, hot walk to the CBD, she said.

"Others have been known to hem an oversized Elvis jumpsuit or have a group crash on the rumpus room floor when accommodation plans have fallen through."

Kenny and Sue are such people who have taken in those who have had no where to stay. At one point having 14 or 15 caravans staying with them on their property.

As we countdown to the 30th anniversary of the Parkes Elvis Festival in January, we're celebrating the milestone by bringing our readers a special series of stories that show just how far the festival has come and the people who've made it what it is today.

The series so far: