The Tussock Country music festival kicks off on Friday and its boost in ticket sales has reflected the rapid rise of the music genre in popular culture, internationally.
In its 50th year, famed Gore country competition the New Zealand Gold Guitar Awards received a record number of 829 musical entries last month, 100 more than 12 months previously.
Now, just a week out from the 11-day extravaganza, several of its events have sold out or are near selling out in anticipation for the festival.
Music teacher Peter Cairns said tickets to his yodelling workshop had sold out for the first time since starting four years ago.
He said the increase in takers was due to the overall festival doing so well alongside a tour group coming through this year, helping to boost numbers.
He learned to yodel in his 20s, he said, while hanging out with one of the NZ’s "top dalliers" Southlander Max McCauley.
He said his workshops had not created any "yodelling monsters" yet, but he was coaching a few budding singers who were entering in the Gold Guitars this year.
His student Briar Sharp will be returning in the Intermediate section of the competition, having won the Junior category overall last time.
"I’ve taught something like 13 or 14 overall Gold Guitar winners," he said.
The workshop was a "bit of fun" he said, where he taught punters the basics of "breaking", meaning finding the break in a voice where it can flip between the higher and lower register that yodelling is known for.
In another expression of the genre, Diane Perkins will be teaching a beginners’ line dance workshop at the festival, and said the country-flavoured steps are having a comeback with a younger audience.
She said once given a "bad rap" and thought to be old fashioned, line dancing was having a resurgence because it was being applied to all kinds of popular music, not just country.
Her students now moved to the music of fast-paced and contemporary hits from the likes of Ed Sheeran and successful new country singer, Luke Combs.
She also takes her line dancing to the rest-homes of Gore and said the dance style has been medically proven to reduce the risk of memory loss and dementia.
"It’s a great way of exercising and ... because the music’s fantastic and you have to remember the steps; it’s very, very good for your mind," she said.
She said both a 91-year-old and a 13-year-old dance with her in Gore.
Another good thing about line dancing was that you did not need a partner, she said, which was good for the many people who were on their own but loved to dance.
Line dancing was also a great social activity, she said, which she had come to expect from Gore.
"It’s a fantastic community to live in ... and it’s just one way that we can give a little bit back to the community," she said.
