Friends told Gary Smith he was mad when he told them he was organising a gin and wine festival in Pauanui.
"I don't drink," explains the teetotaller of two and a half years. "So people thought it was a bit crazy."
But there'll be a "zero bar" featuring non-alcoholic tasty drinks at the event which showcases 60 craft beers and 20 varieties of gin.
The Pauanui Craft Beer and Gin Festival on Saturday, September 24, was planned a year ago but postponed due to lockdowns and uncertainty around event gatherings, and such was the enthusiasm for it that tickets sold out straight away last year.
Gary says some of those tickets will become available from those unable to make the new date this year, but he's already got a waiting list.