My abiding memory from the inaugural Festival of Colour in 2005 was having Australian film-maker David Ireland fritter away the precious 15 minutes of interview time allocated to me with jokes at my expense.
He wasn't paid to come to the festival as a funny man - that was the domain of Auckland actors Dave Fane and Damon Andrews, performing in "Niu Sila" - but Ireland was busting to get out of the "wild man" typecast.
I forgave him. He is used to hand-feeding sharks, for goodness sake, and had no problem taming me.
In 2007, I was convulsed by Stuart Devenie's interpretation of Joseph Hatch, but because I was sitting in the Luggate Community Hall, where the acoustics are rather amazing, I had to keep a lid on it.
Sadly but hilariously, three million cute and fluffy penguins were reduced to oil in the making of Hatch's story.
Goodness knows what unexpected gem will rock my socks next week.
I hope it is Helen Medlyn, because she will be singing about the sheer hell some men encounter in their quest for true love.
I can feel the tears swelling right now and only hope to keep them at bay when she serenades us in the Infinity Crystal Palace on Tuesday night.
Or maybe the festival treasure will be Le Sud, a new play by Dave Armstrong.
To celebrate, Wanaka is "going French" for a day on Friday May 1 and residents have been warned not to be surprised if they encounter onion-wearing accordion players or people in Breton jerseys and berets.
Here's some other picks:
The Wild South Film Festival at Cinema Paradiso: The programme does not include a natural history film-makers' symposium this year but will feature a "best of" programme.
Keep an eye on the Wild South festival and Cinema Paradiso websites.
Grahame Sydney: the eminent Central Otago painter was a festival guest in 2005 and returns this year to present a "peek preview" of his first documentary film, a work still in progress.
This opens the festival on Tuesday at Cinema Paradiso at 10am.
Mike Nock: Top New Zealand jazz pianist and composer Mike Nock performed with classical pianist Michael Houstoun in 2007 and since then has written "Southern Suite", duets for Houstoun (above left) and fellow classical pianist Deirdre Irons (above right) to perform this year.
They help wrap up the festival on Sunday, May 3, at the Lake Wanaka Centre from 7pm.
Tale of a Dog: Rumour has it every primary school child in Wanaka will get to see this show, so "Dog" has had to schedule some more shows to keep the grown-ups happy too.
There is a matinee performance at the Lake Wanaka Centre at 1pm on Thursday and another performance the same day at 6pm.
The Kransky Sisters: these weird, wired-looking rural Australian girls promise 90 minutes of effortlessly bizarre comedy at the Crystal Palace on Thursday April 30 from 8.30pm.
They are musicians. You have been warned.
The Wellington International Ukulele Orchestra: just one day after a community newspaper mentioned that Flight of the Conchords' actor what's-his-name was a member, the tickets to all the "ukes" performances sold like hot cakes.
Anyway, the sad truth is what's-his-name is not going to be here.
But the brilliant news is the "ukes" scheduled extra performances and will even be in Luggate and Glenorchy.
The "ukes" perform the festival finale at the Crystal Palace on Sunday May 3 from 8.30pm.
