We had an impromptu outing with our Allante’s last weekend. Linda Gresham is in charge of the car show for the BIG E ( Elvis that is ) Festival in Cornelia, GA. She invited our club to participate and we had quite a response.

  Several of us met on Friday evening at the Hampton Inn and then had a wonderful dinner at the Beef Baron. After dinner, we went to the Big E Luau. The Loudermilk Boarding House, a historical home in Cornelia is home to the largest collection of Elvis memorabilia (including the infamous wart) outside of Memphis. The former boarding house was the site of the luau, which was ingenuously decorated including grass skirt valances on the outside windows and multi-colored lights around the tree trunks. A large group was gathered in the yard listening to the Big E impersonators as they honored Elvis and us with many of his famous hits. It was great fun especially the people watching.

  Saturday morning, we returned to line up the cars for the car show and several more members joined us. The contestants for the 2006 King of the Big E Festival began with the junior contestants at 9:00 a.m. and continued with other contestants until after lunch. The costumes and contestants were amazing especially the one who REALLY looked like a young Elvis, and was last years winner. Some of us enjoyed a BB-Q lunch and homemade ice cream on site. While the judges were tallying the voting for this years winner, veteran performers and former winners continued to entertain us with Elvis tunes. There was even a live Bassett Hound in the audience but she didn’t perform. We also toured the museum, which has such a vast and varied amount of memorabilia that you have to see it to believe it! If Elvis himself were there, he would have felt honored at the tribute for sure.