Collingwood Elvis Festival
Elvis is King of the World, of course – but this week he's especially the King of Kol … er, Collingwood, Ont.
Once again, the town of 20,000 on the shores of Georgian Bay is hosting its famous Elvis Festival. It's the annual event's 20th anniversary in fact, and to mark going platinum organizers are pulling out all the stops. Not only is the 2014 instalment a five-day fete (rather than four), it's being graced by the King's Queen.
That's right: Priscilla Presley, the one, the only legally wedded consort of Elvis Aaron Presley, mother of his only begotten, Lisa Marie, former mother-in-law of the King of Pop, Michael Joseph Jackson, is "in the building." It's Queen P's first visit to Collingwood and apparently her first-ever stay-over in Canada. She's the guest of honour at a gala dinner Thursday and on Friday attends both the official opening ceremony and the mayor's reception.
Fans get their up-close moment Saturday when the 69-year-old Priscilla participates in two book signings. The book is Shades of Elvis, a compendium of photos of famous folks wearing Elvis's actual sunglasses that Priscilla co-published earlier this year with celebrity lensman Christopher Ameruoso.
Among the 75 subjects permitted to (briefly) view the world through the King's lenses: Buzz Aldrin, Bo Derek, Helen Mirren, Charlie Sheen, Robert Plant, Michael Bublé and Celine Dion. That we should be so worthy!