Greymouth's debut in hosting the Farmlands West Coast AgFest will see the biggest exhibition yet on the West Coast.
The April 13-14 rural festival - which this year shifted to a bigger venue in Greymouth after three festivals in Hokitika - is practically full, with a record 400 exhibitors expected.
"The bottom line is, we're about sold out," West Coast AgFest co-owner Andy Thompson said.
Demand had exceeded expectations and confirmed that the move to Greymouth was the right one, he said.
The bigger venue gave exhibitors the scope to mount larger displays and co-host other displays on their sites.
It also allowed a much bigger variety, with home retail and cooking displays, competitions, musical entertainment, and trades and training displays alongside the agricultural heart of AgFest.
"People have been booking bigger sites. The numbers are up and there's a lot more sub-lets. Some people are sharing sites, which we encourage. The agricultural machinery display is significantly bigger - there's going to be a pretty massive display," Mr Thompson said.
Centralising the festival was a natural development in line with AgFest's growing reputation on the New Zealand circuit of rural field days, he said.
Exhibitor interest was even higher and it all helped raise the profile of the West Coast.
Greymouth accommodation providers were booked out, with 1200 people expected in town the week prior to set up the festival.
He said a lot of visitors were also intending to combine the festival with their Easter school holiday break.
The new urban setting should also attract a broader set of local visitors, Mr Thompson said.
"We need West Coasters to come to the event. It's not just an agricultural show. There's something for everybody."
The largest ever display of new vehicles would be a drawcard, "probably the likes that hasn't been seen in Greymouth since the Industries Fair days".
"A difference this year is we've got the Smith City Home Concept Centre. Going to a larger urban base, we were aware of having sites not just for rural but urban people."
Sturgeons Amusements will be bringing its full contingent, underscoring AgFest as the biggest two-day event on the West Coast since the heyday of the Industries Fairs more than 20 years ago.
Festival staples like woodchopping and the "hugely popular" bachelor/bachelorette competitions are back, the latter expanded to a bigger two-day event, along with the creative gumboot event, a unique AgFest competition that has since been copied elsewhere.
Celebrity cook Jo Seager will give live cooking demonstrations and in the lead-up to AgFest she will run ticketed cooking classes at Tai Poutini Polytechnic, including a class for children over 10 years.
Local schools, clubs and community organisations are again involved, with the opportunity to bolster their fundraising.
- Brendon McMahon
