The Hokitika Wild Foods Festival hopes for big numbers on Saturday after smaller crowds last year following the Christchurch earthquake.
The festival is in its 23rd year of offering adventurous foodies something different and will this year see the return of old favourites such as live huhu grubs and rams' testicles.
Organiser Mike Keenan has some advice for the uninitiated who fancy tucking into live huhu grubs.
"The secret is to bite its head off and then eat it. I think a lot of people don't and they try swallowing it and it's still alive tickling them as it goes down.
"It's a sensation I suppose for people, but not my way of doing it!"
Mr Keenan says 9000 tickets have been sold and it is hoped about 12,000 will come along.
