8 Ways To Celebrate Elvis' 86th Birthday
8 Ways To Celebrate Elvis' 86th Birthday
If Elvis was alive, he would be 86 years old on January 8, 2021.
Whether you're a card-carrying Elvis fan club member or just like an excuse to enjoy a special day, here are eight ways to honor the King's birthday on January 8.
How To Celebrate Elvis's Birthday:
1. Eat some Elvis-inspired treats, like Elvis's favorite sandwich
Birthday treats for everyone!
- Here's a post about a bacon-banana-peanut-butter sandwich that's super easy to make.
- Or, you can head over to Elvis Presley's Memphis (the entertainment complex across the street from Graceland ) to the "Gladys' Diner" restaurant and order your very own PB&B sammy.
- The Arcade restaurant in downtown Memphis was one of Elvis' favorite spots, and they still serve up a fried peanut butter and banana sandwich—and yes, they do takeout.
2. Tune in to the Graceland Official Birthday Proclamation Ceremony
Usually, Graceland throws down for The King with a week of events and parties. This year, most events are limited capacity (and therefore, sold out) or outdoors. Check out the details here. The annual birthday ceremony at Graceland will be broadcast online, if you want to tune in at 9 a.m. CST on Friday, January 8th.
Graceland is still open for tours with limited capacity and advanced reservations.
3. Say Happy Birthday "In Person" during free walk-up times
The usual free walk-by visits to the Meditation Garden at Graceland have been suspended for months, but they're allowing such visits for just three days, January 8, 9, and 10 of 2021. You can walk by on those mornings from 7:30 a.m. until 8:30 a.m.
Wear a mask and follow all social distancing guidelines.
4. Listen to Elvis and Elvis-inspired Music
Find your favorite Elvis song (mine is "Suspicious Minds") on the Elvis Spotify station. Click here to listen.
5. Take Your Picture With Elvis
If you're downtown, stop by the statue on Beale between 2nd and Main for a photo opp with Elvis. Bonus points if you post it online and tag it #ilovememphis or #happybirthdayElvis so I can share it on Twitter or Instagram. Be sure to mask up and social distance.
6. Check out Lansky Bros. at 126 Beale Street, or online
Lansky Bros., the family business that dressed Elvis, still has their locations inside the Peabody Hotel, but the newest location is where their original store was on Beale Street. There is plenty of rock 'n' roll-inspired attire and even some blue suede shoes. You can also shop online.
7. Plan to visit Sun Studio
If you haven't visited Sun Studio yet, make a plan to get there in the future. The tour guides are some of the absolutely best around and though the building is small, it's full of life, history, and intrigue. I highly recommend.
8. Plan To Visit Other Memphis Music Attractions
So much of Memphis music influenced or was influenced by Elvis' work. Plan ahead to pay homage to his inspirations and legacy at these other museums in the future.
- The Rock 'n' Soul Museum is a Smithsonian-associated museum that tells the story of Memphis music across genres and time periods. I love how it looks at the city's musical history as a whole, and uses first-person accounts (mostly audio recordings) to really dig deep. As of Jan. 2021, they are still open with limited capacity, masks, and other safety protocols.
- Memphis Music Hall of Fame (Elvis was inducted in 2012) now has a physical location at 126 Beale Street upstairs from Lansky Bros. The museum is open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily.
Happy Birthday Elvis! How are you celebrating?
Denise Skelton UK
Jo Schwalm
Hi there, I got the chance…
Nikola Webster
Hi there,
I got the chance to visit Graceland for the first time last year. We also visited Sun Studio's: https://britonthemove.com/visit-graceland/ both are fantastic! I did not know that he would have been 86 this year. While we were there we got to pay our respects at the meditation garden where he rests. Nikki
Comments Make Us Happy