The King lives: Almost 20 tribute artists assemble for Nebraska Elvis Festival

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – From all across the U.S., almost 20 performers are showing up in Lincoln this weekend in tribute to one person: Elvis Presley.

The Nebraska Elvis Festival is happening at the Graduate Hotel in the Haymarket.

“The fans that miss Elvis, love Elvis, they get to come out and experience a little bit of what Elvis was,” said Kurt Brown, the producer of the festival.

The festival started in 2007 and is licensed through Elvis Presley Enterprises at Graceland.

Elvis tribute artists from all over come to mingle, compete and win a cash prize.

The winner of the Nebraska festival will then go to Memphis, Tennessee, in August to compete against other winners from around the world.

According to Brown, these performers come out each year to keep Elvis’ legacy alive.

Bobby Allynn of Branson, Missouri, is one of the performers at the festival.

He’s following in his father’s footsteps as an Elvis tribute artist.

Although he thought his dad was crazy at first, when he got older, he realized he enjoyed it.

“I would sing karaoke, and people would say, ‘Hey, you sound like Elvis,'” he said. “I would say, ‘No, no, I don’t.’ But then one day I put on a suit and ran on the stage, and here I am now.”

Allynn decided to come to the Nebraska festival to share the life of Elvis.

“My favorite part so far is the fans, getting to speak to people who have similar interest as me is not an experience you get elsewhere,” Allynn said.

The festival runs through Sunday, and tickets are still available online or at the Graduate Hotel.