MEMPHIS, Tenn. – June 11, 2013, – Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. (EPE) has announced an exciting lineup of events for Elvis Week 2013 to be held at Graceland in Memphis, Tenn. Taking place August 10-17, Elvis Week is an annual, multi-day gathering of friends and fans from around the world celebrating Elvis’ life and legacy. It has become a pop-culture phenomenon and an annual pilgrimage for music lovers from around the world.

The cornerstone event, the Candlelight Vigil, will begin with the traditional opening ceremony on Thursday, August 15, at 8:30 p.m. at Graceland’s front gate. Elvis music sets the tone of the evening as fans walk up the driveway to Meditation Garden. The event lasts throughout the night as thousands of participants gather on Elvis Presley Blvd. listening to music, remembering Elvis and enjoying the memorials that are created by fans along the street.

The Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest returns for the seventh year with the largest number of competitors ever. The contest will feature 29 competitors from around the world, including winners from preliminary contests in the U.S., Japan, Brazil, the U.K., Canada and Australia. Elvis Tribute Artists (ETAs) will compete during the semifinal round of the contest on Wednesday, August 14, at The Cannon Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Memphis. The top 10 semifinalists will then move on to compete for the title of Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist of 2013 at 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 17.

On Tuesday, August 13, an Elvis at Stax Listening Party will be held from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. at Stax Museum of American Soul Music to celebrate the much-anticipated August 6th release of “Elvis At Stax,” the 3-CD box set chronicling the music Elvis recorded at Stax Studios in July and December 1973. RCA/Legacy Recordings is hosting the event where fans will have an opportunity to stand in the very same spot where Elvis recorded the music they are hearing, in addition to witnessing stories and details behind the music and recording sessions from representatives of Sony and Norbert Putnam.

Conversations on Elvis, one of the most popular Elvis Week events, returns this year on Wednesday, August 14, at 1:00 p.m. at the Elvis Week Main Stage. Hosted by Tom Brown, Vice President of Original Productions for Turner Classic Movies (TCM), this event features Elvis’ friends, colleagues, co-stars, musicians and more sharing some of their favorite stories [Read more…]