Celebrity chef at Tulip Festival

TV One's Kiwi Living chef Michael Van de Elzen will be speaking at the Rotorua Tulip Festival in October. PHOTO?SUPPLIED.

New Zealand chef Michael Van de Elzen, of TV One's Kiwi Living, will be one of three celebrity speakers at the annual Rotorua Tulip Festival in October.

As well as speaking, Mr Van de Elzen will host a cooking demonstration on the festival's opening night.

He will also judge the best Dutch apple cake competition and a children's competition at the inaugural Farmers' Market.

The other celebrity guests will be New Zealand landscape designer Xanthe White and award-winning contemporary furniture designer and maker David Trubridge.

The three will be speaking at the Rotorua Bowling Club in the Government Gardens. Their events will be ticketed.

Rotorua Tulip Festival manager Brigitte Nelson said the festival organising team was thrilled Mr Van de Elzen would be taking part.

"To most New Zealanders he is synonymous with great, healthy food. That coupled with his Dutch heritage, makes him a perfect celebrity guest, especially as he will be in Rotorua for the opening of our exciting Rotorua Farmers' Market."

Mr Van de Elzen said he was a fan of Rotorua.

"It's my favourite place to mountain bike and everyone is so friendly.

"I'm very excited about seeing all the tulips flowering - that will be spectacular and I love a good farmer's market," he said.

Mr Trubridge is currently in the design stages of tree lights for the Redwood Treewalk.

His talk will cover being inspired by nature, beauty in design and his tree light design.

Xanthe White is a repeat exhibitor at the London Chelsea Flower Show. Festival goers will have a chance to view one of Xanthe White's designs in Matamata - the festival includes two bus tours to a Matamata garden she helped design.

More than 100,000 tulip bulbs have been planted this year making the event New Zealand's largest tulip festival. It will be held from October 1 to 9.