I watched the weather reports all week and shuddered as I saw nothing except rain in the forecast for our Elvis weekend. We've been so lucky with good weather over the past years and I sort of half expected it would always be that way but there are no guarantees in life.
Faye, Mary, and I packed up the car and made our yearly pilgrimage to the Elvis Festival anyway, assuming we'd be inside most of the time so it really didn't matter if it rained or not. We had a nice drive up with only cloudy skies, some darker and more forbidding than others, and were able to get into our hotel room right away. We then drove back to downtown Collingwood to watch the free outdoor show that ran all evening.
Parking is usually a bit of a problem during the festival because it draws huge crowds but this year's threat of rain kept a lot of them away on Friday. Maybe that's why we were lucky enough to drive within 2 blocks of the show and find a nice family just leaving a perfectly wonderful parking spot empty for us. It was meant to be.
Arriving at the main street where the show was in progress, we tried parking our lawn chairs on the sidewalk like we always have but this year it wasn't allowed. The road is closed off to traffic and there is a designated area in the center for people to set up lawn chairs but we would have had to sit way, way back from the stage. We opted for a little outcropping of sidewalk where no-one walked but were quickly evicted by security. Just as we were ready to leave, a nice little family in the legal area said they were leaving and we could have their spots. Luck was with us again! By the way, it was very close to the Tim Horton's where we could also use the restroom facilities. Nice!
We watched the show for a few hours and then decided to go back to our room and play Rummicubes. There are always Elvis impersonators putting on shows in the courtyard of the hotel and we could watch or just listen from our balcony. Again, the weather was lovely but still held the threat of rain. We stayed at the Blue Mountain Resort as we have all the other years and it's always a treat. The rooms are spacious and the price split between the 3 of us is quite manageable. There are so many free shows put on in the courtyard that Elvis lovers really don't have to pay for ones put on by the festival if they don't want to.
We got up kind of late on Saturday and took our time going downtown. I think the show we saw in the afternoon cost us each around $50 but it's always worth it. These entertainers have been getting better every year and we've watched some of them grow up from childish singers to polished performers. For instance, on Friday night there was a 4 year old boy Elvis who boomed out a darned good song on stage. He'll be even better next year.
We noticed how sparse attendance was at the Saturday afternoon show and thought that might hold true for the rest of the weekend but it didn't. The Gospel show on Sunday afternoon was well attended and the finals on Sunday evening were packed.
I love this festival because everywhere you go you run into Elvis impersonators, Elvis dressers, and lots of Elvis music. The Elvis impersonators are friendly and very down to earth, quite willing to talk to fans or pose for pictures. Some of our favorites didn't come to Collingwood this year so I guess they've moved on to something else in their careers. Others have risen high enough in their craft that they don't compete anymore but earn a good living singing in local clubs.
16 year old Anthony Carbone won first prize in the senior youth category again and his voice knocked our socks off. With a voice so powerful and controlled, he most assuredly deserved his award.
There were countless enthertainers whose voices impressed me but there is one whose voice brings tears to my eyes and that's Jay Zanier's. He's too good to be true and I'm scared to death he'll not find time to come to Collingwood one year. I've never approached this man and told him how impressed I am with him because I'm sure he hears it all the time. In any case, I do especially look forward every year to hearing both him and young Anthony. In my eyes (or ears), they're the cream of a damned good crop.
Back to the rain...it seemed to fall out of the sky while we were inside the arena watching one of the shows but we did get a bit between shows on Sunday when we went looking for a restaurant. Not bad considering how worried I'd been all week before. The vendors must have lost money because of the rain, though, because there definitely were fewer attendees. I managed to buy a great Elvis tote bag which I'll give to my sister for her birthday. She doesn't use a computer so she'll never read this blog...don't anyone tell her, okay?
Mary, Faye, and I lazed around this morning before packing and heading home. It was a bit drizzly rain at first but that ended quickly and we had a very nice drive back. We heard on the news that my city had been hit hard with horrendous rain over the weekend and many homes had been flooded so I was quite worried about mine. All was well when I got home, though, with no sign of water in the basement at all. I thanked my lucky stars for that.
Another Elvis Festival is over and I can say once again that we had a terrific time with lots of fun, lots of laughs, and lots of excellent entertainment.
Just a note for Mary...when you need a smile, just remember 3 in 5.
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