KEY POINTS:
Things will be somewhat less wild at this year's Hokitika Wildfoods Festival but organisers do not believe that will reduce its appeal.
Up to 12,000 people are expected in the West Coast town of just 3300 on Saturday to partake of the unusual food and drink on offer at 79 stalls.
Double that number of people turned up at the 2003 festival, many of them teenagers out to get drunk, and left the town covered in broken glass, police run off their feet and residents upset.
Organiser Mike Keenan said since that episode Lincoln University had been enlisted to research improvements - one of which was "more manageable" ticket sales.
Items such as goat testicles and bull semen will not be on the menu this year.
"It's more of a dare factor than people wanting to eat them," Mr Keenan said.
"We went overboard. We thought we could go back to the grassroots. A lot of people come for the day and the atmosphere - a bit like rugby sevens."
The target audience was now the more mature wanting an enjoyable day out rather than younger people looking to get drunk.
The number of stalls selling alcohol had been slashed and hard liquor "shooters" were frowned upon.
A liquor ban is in place on town streets but punters will be able to have a beer or wine with food at the main festival venue of Cass Square.
France will be the festival's theme this year so snails will get a run along with the traditional favourites such as huhu grub, rabbit pie and kebabs.
A Hokitika police spokesman said an extra 37 officers would be on duty for the festival but it was hard to predict what would happen.
"You never know until the day. A lot of it depends on the weather."
