While Tupelo, Mississippi, celebrates its favorite native son throughout the year, the city rolls out the blue suede carpet each June during the Tupelo Elvis Festival. Held June 6-9, 2024, the festival honors the legacy of Elvis Presley and his immense impact on popular culture in the city where it all began.
The celebration kicks into high gear June 6th with the “Becoming Experience” Youth Day & Competition at the Elvis Presley Birthplace. Young Elvis fans participate in workshops with Elvis tribute artists and compete to earn $1,000, a guitar from Tupelo Hardware Company, and the opportunity to perform on the main stage at the Cadence Bank Arena during the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist finals Saturday morning. A showcase featuring the 30 Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist contestants and the “Welcome Back to Tupelo” concert round out Thursday’s events, followed by the Tupelo Elvis Festival After Party at the Silver Moon Club.
The Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Competition begins June 7th at the Cadence Bank Arena with festival host Tom Brown and the Tributes in Concert band. Festival participants are invited to Food Truck Friday featuring Tupelo’s delicious food truck fare and a special Stax Museum of American Soul Music Pop-Up experience featuring the Stax Soul Mobile. Other events on Friday include the “Behind the Jumpsuits” Conversations event that delves into the stories of those individuals who keep Elvis’ memory alive, and the “From Tupelo with Love” concert. More after parties round out Friday night’s festivities.
TCB Fights is one of the newest festival events, and features fighters from UFM, HIT Fitness, and other local gyms. The TCB Fights “Decked Out” Weigh In happens June 7th, with the Boxing Event June 8th at 7 p.m. in the Cadence Bank Conference Center. Dress to impress and enjoy fight night with the king.
Lace up your running shoes for the Running with the King 5K at Veteran’s Park June 8th. This annual race takes participants past the Elvis Presley Birthplace and through the neighborhood where Elvis grew up. Sponsored by the Tupelo Running Club, the race is a fast, flat course and benefits the Northeast Mississippi Boys & Girls Club.
The Elvis Tribute Artist Meet & Greets and Tupelo Elvis Fan Club activities take over Downtown Tupelo June 8th. Visit Downtown retailers, meet the tribute artists, and enjoy living history demonstrations. Tupelo Hardware Company, where Gladys Presley purchased Elvis’ first guitar, holds a reenactment of the famous purchase, and guitars are still sold there today. The Stax Museum Soul Mobile makes another appearance Saturday with music, giveaways, and fun for the entire family.
With more than 200 restaurants in Tupelo, planning your next meal is as much fun as the festival revelry. Eat like the king with a visit to Tupelo’s oldest restaurant, Johnnie’s Drive-In, where Elvis liked to eat. Sit in the Elvis booth inside or enjoy carhop service at this operating drive-in. Try the doughburger, a North Mississippi delicacy. Tupelo’s restaurants serve up plenty of other Elvis eats including his favorite fried peanut butter and banana sandwich at Café 212 in Downtown Tupelo. Visit tupelo.net/blog/eat-like-a-king/ to explore all of the scrumptious food inspired by Elvis. Follow #tupelofoodie on Instagram and drool over all of the culinary delights just waiting to be enjoyed.
Looking for an experience you can only have in Tupelo? Mississippi’s first and only meadery, Queen’s Reward, is the only meadery in the world that makes mead with 100 percent Mississippi honey. Enjoy a tasting in their exquisite west Tupelo tasting room or enjoy mead by the glass. Mead slushies are a crowd favorite. Can’t decide which one to try? Order the mead slushie sampler and try them all.
Tupelo has more than 2,200 accommodating hotel rooms, so you are sure to get a great night’s sleep after a full day of festival fun. Hotel Tupelo is the city’s newest boutique hotel. Located in the heart of Downtown Tupelo’s Fairpark, Hotel Tupelo has 79 rooms, a bar and restaurant on-site, and an array of local touches that make it a truly unique stay. Just across the street, the Hilton Garden Inn offers guests a comfortable stay in walking distance of all Tupelo Elvis Festival events.
The Tupelo Elvis Festival is the perfect excuse to visit the city where anything is possible. To learn more about the events or to purchase tickets, visit tupeloelvisfestival.com. Plan your trip by visiting tupelo.net and imagine what you can do there!
This article is sponsored by the Tupelo Main Street Association.
