Hokitika Wildfoods Festival facts for kids
The Hokitika Wildfoods Festival is a famous food festival held every year in early March in Hokitika, New Zealand. What makes this festival special is its menu of strange and adventurous foods.
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How the Festival Began
The Wildfoods Festival was started in 1990 by a local woman named Claire Bryant. She made wine from gorse flowers and rose petals and wanted to create an event to celebrate the unique foods and flavors of the West Coast region.
The very first festival happened in March 1990, which was also the 125th anniversary of the town of Hokitika. It was held on Gibson Quay, a historic area in town. About 1,800 people came to see the 30 food stalls. A famous New Zealand cook, Alison Holst, was the celebrity judge.
The festival is usually held on the second Saturday in March because it's the driest time of year on the West Coast. While the weather is often good, a strong gust of wind once blew down the main tent during the 1992 festival. By then, the festival was getting more popular, with 3,800 visitors.
Because so many people were coming, the festival moved in 1993 to a bigger park called Cass Square. This new location could hold up to 10,000 people.
Running the Festival
After the first few years, the Westland District Council took over running the festival in 1993. A team of people, including many volunteers, worked together to organize the event each year. The festival grew quickly, and by 1996, it had 90 different food stalls.
| Number | Year | Numbers | Stalls | Profit/loss |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1990 | 1,800 | 30 | |
| 2 | 1991 | 2,000 | 37 | |
| 3 | 1992 | 3,800 | ||
| 4 | 1993 | 6,500 | ||
| 5 | 1994 | 7,840 | ||
| 6 | 1995 | 8,527 | ||
| 7 | 1996 | 11,000 | 90 | |
| 8 | 1997 | 13,500 | ||
| 9 | 1998 | 14,600 | ||
| 10 | 1999 | 14,300 | ||
| 11 | 2000 | 16,140 | ||
| 12 | 2001 | 19,200 | ||
| 13 | 2002 | 20,663 | $90,624 | |
| 14 | 2003 | 22,466 | 90 | $85,225 |
| 21 | 2010 | 13,500 | 80+ | |
| 22 | 2011 | 10,436 | 65 | |
| 23 | 2012 | 10,800 | 53 | |
| 24 | 2013 | 8,500 | -$68,000 | |
| 25 | 2014 | c. 6,300 | 43 | -$81,042 |
| 26 | 2015 | 5,345 | ||
| 27 | 2016 | 6,620 | 50 | $19,305 |
| 28 | 2017 | < 6,700 | 51 | $12,000 |
| 29 | 2018 | 8,000 | 50 | -$53,612 |
| 30 | 2019 | 10,000 | 50+ | $20,000 |
| 31 | 2020 | 7,000 | ||
| 32 | 2021 | > 9,000 | ||
| — | 2022 | postponed |
Growing Pains and Success
By 2003, the festival was incredibly popular, with over 22,000 visitors. At the time, only about 3,500 people lived in Hokitika! The festival's popularity caused some problems with overcrowding and mess in the town. To make sure the event stayed safe and fun for everyone, the organizers decided to limit ticket sales to 15,000. These changes helped make the festival a better experience for both visitors and locals.
In 2005, the Wildfoods Festival won a New Zealand Tourism Award for being so creative and unique.
Benefits for the Community
The festival is very important for the West Coast. A 2012 study showed that it brought about $6.5 million to the region each year. Most visitors (about 90%) came from outside the West Coast, which is a huge number for a local festival.
Many visitors stayed in Hokitika for a few days, spending money on hotels, food, and other activities. Before the festival, many local residents would even rent out rooms in their houses to host all the tourists.
The festival also helps local community groups raise money. About 60 groups, like schools and clubs, run stalls or provide services. For example, the community of Karamea used the money they earned from their stall to help fix their community hall kitchen.
In 2022, the festival was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic in New Zealand, but it returned the following year.
What's on the Menu?
The main reason people come to the Wildfoods Festival is for the food. Here are some of the most famous and unusual items you might find:
- Huhu grubs: These are the larvae of a large New Zealand beetle. They are found in rotting logs, which are sometimes chopped up right at the festival. They are usually cooked on a barbecue and are said to taste "nutty and meaty."
- Westcargots: These are snails (the same kind you might find in a garden) cooked like French escargot. Local school groups help prepare them.
- Other Wild Foods: The menu changes but has included things like crocodile bites, kangaroo, wasp larvae ice cream, whitebait fritters, and crispy tarantulas.
Of course, there are also many tasty but less unusual foods available, like venison, scallops, and food cooked in a traditional Māori oven called a hāngī.
The festival also features cooking demonstrations by famous chefs.
- Food at the Wildfoods Festival
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Splitting wood to find huhu grubs
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"Westcargots" (snails)
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A stall selling wild food
Fun and Entertainment
The Wildfoods Festival isn't just about food. Many people come dressed in creative and funny costumes. There is even a "Feral Fashion" competition to find the best outfits.
There is also live music from different bands. Past performers have included the New Zealand Army Band, the Black Seeds, and Elemeno P. The day ends with a big fireworks display.
- Costumes at the 2011 Wildfoods Festival
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"Army Men"
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"Sub Zero"
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"Barbie and Ken"
The Festival in a Movie
The Hokitika Wildfoods Festival was featured in a 1999 New Zealand movie called Magik and Rose. The story is set during the festival, and some scenes were even filmed at the real event in 1999. The movie's first showing was held in Hokitika's own movie theater during the festival in 2000.
