Sam’s Town plans Elvis Weekend Aug. 16-18
Every mid-August, droves of Elvis Presley diehards flock to his former Graceland mansion in Memphis, Tenn., to celebrate Elvis Week. The weeklong extravaganza coincides with the anniversary of the king of rock ‘n’ roll’s death.
Despite throngs of jump suit-wearing impersonators, tribute artists and Elvis-themed weddings, Elvis’ death anniversary has been a blip on the radar in Las Vegas.
Until now.
Sam’s Town, 5111 Boulder Highway, plans to bring Elvis’ spirit back to life with a promotion-packed weekend Aug. 16-18.
Visitors will be greeted with Elvis’ most popular songs while several of his hit movies will air on screens throughout the casino.
Guests named Elvis will be awarded $20 in free slot play, and those dressed as him can dine free at the Firelight Buffet.
Elvis-themed slot machines will be a hotbed for cash prizes, too. Three randomly selected players will win $100 every 20 minutes from 1-4 p.m. daily, with one randomly selected $1,000 winner at 5 p.m.
The celebration is to be kick-started by Elvis tribute artist Brandon Bennett at 8 p.m. Aug. 16.
Bennett’s resemblance to Elvis as a teenager snowballed into a career as a tribute artist.
“I knew who Elvis was and I liked a couple of his songs, but I had no idea how much music he had out there and all the things he did,” Bennett said. “I started doing research and he was a great human being and also, the entertainer he was, I don’t think there’ll be anybody else quite like him.”
Matching Elvis’ talent isn’t something Bennett worries about.
“There’s a certain area which you stay within to stay in a respectful manner,” he said. “There’s never going to be another Elvis, and that’s not something I’m trying to do by any means. It’s just a tribute to him.”
It was Bennett who was the nugget of inspiration for the weekend. After booking Bennett to play, Sam’s Town marketing director Melanie Mabry pitched the weekend celebration.
“Being a little bit of an Elvis fan myself and being right in the throes of Elvis week in the middle of August and nothing going on, I said, ‘Why don’t we just go full out all weekend?’ ” Mabry said.
An Elvis karaoke contest from
2-4 p.m Aug. 18 is scheduled to end the festivities. The master of ceremonies will be James Zito, whose stage name is DJ Jimmy Z.
Cash prizes will be awarded to the top five contestants, with the first-place winner taking home $1,000.
Even 36 years after his death, it’s not too late to honor Elvis.
“He’s the original king of Las Vegas,” Zito said. “He’s the original king of music. He is everlasting when it comes to being a beautiful man in the ladies’ eyes. ... He had such an impact that is still continuing, even with the younger generation. He’s timeless.”
Contact reporter Eric Uribe at euribe@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-4642.
Additional Elvis Tributes
Opportunity Village plans an Elvis impersonator contest and special performances by the OV Elvi at 10 a.m. Aug. 16 at its Engelstad Campus, 6050 S. Buffalo Drive. Opportunity Village invites all Elvis impersonators to participate for a $600 cash prize. The event is free to the public. Call 702-262-1550.
Brandon Bennett’s "Elvis My Way" is set for 7:30 p.m. Aug. 17-18 at the Suncoast Showroom, 9090 Alta Drive. Tickets start at $15.95. Call 702-636-7075 or visit suncoastcasino.com.
