KEY POINTS:
Foodies flocked to the West Coast town Hokitika on Saturday to attend the Wildfoods Festival.
Around 13,000 people attended the festival, which is in its 19th year.
Some of the unusual food on offer included huhu grubs, grasshoppers, worms disguised in chocolate, wasp larvae and crickets.
While there had been a few rain drops throughout the day, organisers claimed it worked well for stallholders as punters went to their tents to get shelter and ate up a storm.
Event coordinator Mike Keenan said the innovative enthusiasm of the 74 stallholders was what made the festival an ongoing success.
However, it was not just food on offer. United States graffiti artist Eric Orr, regarded as the original graffiti artist, painted graffiti art on a canvas on stage in front of the crowd.
And last year's World Elvis Championships winner from Brisbane Dean Vegas had the crowd convinced he was the real Elvis.
The coast's voluntary organisations plan on the festival as their major fundraiser for the year, about $2 million is expected to have been raised.
Mr Keenan said the festival had no problems with drunken revellers, as the police, crown public health, liquor licensing and security representatives monitored the crowd.
- NZPA
