Elvis tribute artist Chris Ayotte chats with a young fan at last year's Elvisfest.

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If you think you see Elvis Presley wandering around town this week, don’t get all shook up. You’re probably just seeing one of several tribute artists taking part in the 11th annual Michigan Elvisfest.

The event runs Friday and Saturday at Riverside Park in Ypsilanti. Organizers say it is one of the largest in the country, drawing as many as 8,000 fans.

“We’re constantly getting new people every year who heard about it from a friend and the friends are bringing more people,” said Wanda Smith, the event’s entertainment director.

Ten Elvis tribute artists (they prefer that term, Smith said, rather than “Elvis impersonator”) are expected to perform, as will others paying musical homage to music icons Johnny Cash, Buddy Holly, Gene Pitney and Patsy Cline. Younger kids will also get a chance to hone their Elvis talents on stage.

Smith, who has been involved in the Michigan Elvisfest for nine years, said she has been an Elvis aficionado since she was young.

“I remember as a child watching the movies; that’s how I got started. In 2000, a friend who was part of the committee that started Elvisfest invited me to come. I came, and went ‘Wow, there’s other people like me!’ … Something about Elvis music brings people together,” she explained.

For Elvis tribute artist Chris Ayotte of Canton, Elvis Presley’s enduring appeal is due to a combination of factors.

“The man’s charisma, the magnetic voice … when you combine that voice with that look, the moves, the personality and his passion to perform and to do it with all of his heart ... there is just something unique about Elvis that has just drawn people,“ Ayotte explained.

This will be Ayotte’s sixth Michigan Elvisfest; he started in 2004 when he won a director’s choice contest for amateurs. He also won an Elvis Fantasy Fest competition last October and will be competing in August in the Ultimate Elvis Tribute Artist Contest during Elvis Week in Memphis.

Nostalgia is also an import element of Elvisfest's appeal, Ayotte said.

“People remember from their youth where they were when Elvis was popular, the kind of music they were listening to, or just the beat or the rhythm, that raw original rock 'n' roll flavor. … I think people just catch on to that (and) when they are hearing that music again, it just takes them back. You can tell it really touches people’s hearts.”

Smith, meanwhile, said she has the perfect solution to friends who might think she’s overboard over Elvis.

“I invite them to the festival so they can see what it’s all about,” she said.

“I can talk to people about why I like Elvis. And there’s people you get to meet every year who are sharing the same thing. It’s almost like a family reunion. Everyone has the same interest, which just happens to be Elvis. And you become friends with these people and you look forward to being with people that share the same interest you do.

“I like the music. It just makes me feel good,” Smith added.

Roger LeLievre is a free-lance writer who covers music for AnnArbor.com.

Watch a clip from last year's Michigan Elvisfest: