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It is a long time since the Parkes district has copped a drenching such as that which started early yesterday morning.
By midday, more than 80 millimetres (over three inches on the old scale) had been recorded (and rose to over 100mms later in the day) - transforming Parkes into a very wet Elvis Capital of Australia.
Certainly the locals did not mind the rain, and neither did all the thousands of visitors here for the five day Elvis Festival.
Workers had a huge task setting up the cover over the main stage in Cooke Park.
The material was absolutely saturated and weighed more than 80kg of dead weight, and erecting the cover proved a mammoth task.
But all is in place and although the park has received a thorough drenching, it is draining well and it is full steam ahead for today’s and the rest of the Festival’s activities and markets.
Tent City at Northparkes Oval was relatively unscathed from the downpour.
Most of the campers were not arriving until yesterday, so were unaffected.
Parkes Elvis Festival President, Kim Ross said the rain would ensure the perfect weather for the festival.
“I don’t know if people remember but we had temperatures in the 40s last year.
“In fact, on the Saturday we reached 43.6, which was the highest temperture we recorded all year!
“This year, after this beautiful rain, we are expecting temperatures in the low to mid 30s.
“It sets everything up for another huge festival.”
Kim said activities so far had all been very well supported and the atmosphere was really buzzing around town.
“The Poets Breakfast yesterday at the Bowling Club attracted more than 200 people; the trots on Wednesday night really went off; special guest, Cynthia Pepper had a wonderful crowd at her Up-Close session at the Services Club (there’s further sessions today); the Spicer Park caravan park had a fantastic night - it’s just the start, with so much more to come.”