The year 2007 marks a very special anniversary for Graceland. In March 1957, Elvis purchased Graceland for his home. And to commemorate this historic event, Painter of Light, Thomas Kinkade, has created his newest masterpiece “Graceland, 50th Anniversary” and will unveil it during this exclusive event.  Welcoming him to Graceland and attending the unveiling will be Priscilla Presley.

Kinkade visited Graceland in September 2006 to paint a study for the painting, and had this to say, “Elvis Presley created rock and roll and changed music forever. Graceland was his refuge from the demands of his fame. My hope is that I will capture on canvas a bit of the home that he loved so much.”

VIP ticket packages for the Graceland & Thomas Kinkade “Light & Legend Event” are on sale now through Graceland Reservations.  Please call toll free (800) 238-2010 to purchase .   Cost is $250 per VIP event package ticket and space is extremely limited.

VIP event ticket package includes:

Welcome Reception and Tour
Friday March 23, 2007
6:30 PM - 8:30 PM

The weekend will start with an informal welcome reception for VIP guests at Graceland’s Ticket Pavilion. Enjoy drinks, hors d’oeuvres and an evening tour of Graceland mansion. Last mansion tour goes up at 7:30 PM. Representatives from the local Kinkade Gallery will be on hand to take pre-orders on the “Graceland, 50th Anniversary” painting.

Cocktail Reception
Saturday March 24, 2007
5:00-6:30 PM

Enjoy a cocktail reception with Thomas Kinkade and Priscilla Presley in the Elvis Presley Automobile Museum at Graceland. Thomas Kinkade will unveil his latest masterpiece, “Graceland, 50th Anniversary.” Enjoy cocktails and hors d’oeuvres among the amazing assortment of vehicles from Elvis’s collection, have your photo taken with Thomas and Priscilla, and meet and mingle with your fellow collectors and special guests.

The Light and The Legend
Saturday, March 24, 2007
Gibson Showcase, Gibson Guitar Center
7:00-9:00 PM

Your VIP ticket also includes The Light and The Legend event at Gibson Showcase, Gibson Guitar Center in downtown Memphis, hosted by the Thomas Kinkade Gallery at Wolfchase Galleria. Enjoy beverages and hors d'oeuvres as you experience an extensive collection of Thomas Kinkade's Studio Masterworks, spend time with Thomas he signs your limited-edition selections, and participate in an auction of an original Thomas Kinkade sketch to benefit Presley Place.

VIP ticket packages can be purchased now by calling Graceland Reservations toll-free (800) 238-2010. space is extremely limited.

NOTE:  If you wish to attend ONLY the Light and Legend event at Gibson Showcase and NOT the two events at Graceland, you may do so by calling the local Thomas Kinkade Gallery at (901) 257-1212.

 ADDITIONAL RELATED EVENTS:

Special Savings at EP Delta Kitchen & Bar

Stop by E.P. Delta Kitchen & Bar, located on historic Beale Street, on March 23 and 24 to receive a special discount just for Light and Legend Event attendees. Show your event lanyard from the Graceland Light and Legend Event, or ticket stub from the Gibson Lounge Thomas Kinkade event, and receive free admission and a 20% discount on all purchases of food and beverages at E.P. Delta Kitchen.


“Walk A Mile In My Shoes Series – When Dreams Come True”
by Sweet Magnolia Tours
Saturday, March 24, 2007
9:00 AM-12:00 Noon

Boarding at 8:30 AM; Departure at 9:00 AM; Tour returns to Graceland at 12:00 Noon.  Tour departs the Graceland parking lot next to the Heartbreak Hotel. Bus will be at the walkway from the hotel to the Graceland parking lot.

Hear stories of Elvis from 1954-1974. After recording “That’s All Right Mama” in 1954, Elvis’s life changed forever. Fame came quickly to Elvis Presley and in large doses, from Memphis Recording Studio to RCA and from Lauderdale Courts to Graceland. Elvis’s world expanded and grew to include many of the greatest entertainers of all time, but Elvis never forgot an old friend. Today on your “When Dreams Come True” tour you will meet one of those friends when you stop at Super Cycle to meet Lew Elliott and hear about his treasured memories of the man they call the “King of Rock & Roll.”

Featured on this unusual tour will be a NEW tour stop at the Memphian Theatre where Elvis, Priscilla, and their friends would gather to watch the latest movies. Fans will hear stories about Elvis’s visits to the theater, and his favorite movies. When Elvis visited the theater, he always took the same seat, when renovations were done on the theater to expand the stage, Elvis seat was saved. Today you can sit in Elvis theater seat, for a great photo opportunity.

Other sites included: Sun Studio, Western Steakhouse and Lounge, Coliseum and Libertyland at the Fairgrounds, Immaculate Conception High School, the Beauty Shop and Elvis’s Audubon Drive Home.

Fully narrated 3-hour Walk-a-Mile-in-My-Shoes Series –“When Dreams Come True” tour includes round trip transportation, Sweet Magnolia professional tour guide and tour inside Super Cycle and The Memphian Theater.
P
rice: $35.00 Per Person

Please call Sweet Magnolia Tours at (866) 320-5295 or visit their Web site for information and reservations.   Tickets for this event are sold separately from the Graceland VIP Events on March 23 and 24th, so call today!



RELATED LINKS:

Previous Thomas Kinkade News Item on Elvis.com

Elvis/EPE 2007 Preview