About 10,000 people tested their taste buds and enjoyed a line-up of top New Zealand music under brilliant sunshine during the 34th Hokitika Wildfoods Festival on Saturday.
Organisers and police were pleased with the behaviour of the bumper-sized crowd, and the relaxed and family-friendly atmosphere.
Destination Westland Ltd chief executive Melanie Anderson said they did not yet have the final count on numbers, but believed the turnout was on a par with the last festival, held in 2021, which drew close to 10,000 people. More than 600 tickets were sold on the day.
‘‘It was spitting in the morning and I thought it was going to put a dampener on the day, but the sun came out and just added to what was a great day,’’ Mrs Anderson said.
‘‘We couldn’t be happier. It was a great crowd - it felt massive - and so well-behaved.
‘‘The music definitely played a part in the vibe. It was happy, it was relaxed. The whole music line-up we had just worked well.’’
The crowd peaked late afternoon for Sir Dave Dobbyn, who followed Zed, Greg Johnson and Cassie Henderson, plus local talent KVH.
Mrs Anderson said the festival had something for everyone.
‘‘We had young kids singing along to Dave Dobbyn, retired people, teenagers and everyone in between.’’
Stallholder feedback had also been positive, all 50 of them enjoying long lines all day.
The majority of stalls were again run by local community groups, who relied on the day as their biggest fundraiser of the year.
Everything from West Coast venison, whitebait and tahr to seafood was on the menu, along with the more daring dishes of sheep testicles, locusts and larvae.
West Coast bush fashion was also to the fore as the popular Feral Fashion challenge was held for the ninth year, again at a dedicated runway away from the main stage, pulling its own large crowd.
Westland Mayor Helen Lash, who helped judge the fashions, said the effort that had gone in was ‘‘fantastic’’.
Everything from gorse and horns, to fur, ferns and flowers were incorporated into entries.
‘‘We couldn't have asked for a better day in every aspect of it. It’s really confirming we’re open for business,’’ Mrs Lash said.
Police were also happy with the behaviour of the big crowd and no arrests were made.
Local staff were bolstered by a large contingent from Nelson, and Senior Sergeant Mark Kirkwood, of Greymouth, said they had abut 20 officers policing the festival.
There was also a crackdown on drink-driving throughout the festival weekend, with several checkpoints, the results of which would be known this week.
- By Janna Sherman of the Hokitika Guardian
