It is all about bulls and berries in Waimate today.
For the second year in a row, the Waimate Strawberry Fare and Waimate Rodeo are being held on the same day.
Last year, rodeo organisers moved their event forward to avoid clashing with events on the North Island circuit and attract more entries.
By all accounts, the events were ''complementary'' and would bring big crowds to Waimate again this year.
The Strawberry Fare opens at 10.30am and Father Christmas is expected to make his grand entrance at 11am.
This year, more than 250 stall-holders and 14,000 people are expected to turn out.
Thirty years since Strawberry Fare was started, the event had grown to be one of the largest annual events in the region, committee chairwoman Joy McIvor said.
''It's just the way it's happened ... they all seem to be happy to keep coming back,'' she said.
A dedicated team of volunteers ensured the event was a success each year.
''We've got a great team of volunteers who organise it,'' she said.
Entries for the rodeo were up on last year, an indication that the events worked well on the same day.
Waimate Rodeo secretary-treasurer Lynne Couper said there were 257 entries for the 2014 Waimate Rodeo, with competitors coming from as far away as Kaitaia and Invercargill.
Local support for the event had been ''great''.
''There's a whole lot of us that make it happen,'' she said.
She encouraged people to head along to the Strawberry Fare in the morning and then to the rodeo in the afternoon, where there would be ''fun and entertainment for the whole family''.
