Fine wine and sunshine: Katikati's Avocado Food and Wine Festival goes off without a hitch

Festival-goers take to the field for a dance in the sun. Photo / Supplied

From line-dancing in the sun to tingling the tastebuds with top local and international cuisine - Katikati's Avocado Food and Wine Festival had it all.

The annual community event that has been around for more than 20 years took place on Saturday at Katikati's Uretara Domain with more than 2500 people turning out.

It was the place to be for food, sunshine and fine wine with the festival running from 11am to 5pm.

Festival organiser Jacqui Knight said it had been a "scorching hot" day with a "fantastic, relaxed atmosphere".

Live music, cooking demonstrations, bouncy castles, puppets and an array of top quality food and drink were on offer at the popular festival - with many festival-goers even taking to the field throughout the day for a jig.

She said the family-friendly event was always well received in the community and went on without a hitch year on year.

More than 2500 people turned out for the popular community festival. Photo / Supplied

The headline act HALO was back by "popular demand" with hundreds of people of all ages dancing in the sun to their upbeat tunes.

Other bands included the country classic James Ray Trio and Toner and Franks.

Knight said people had been up for a boogie and many had even taken to the field to give line-dancing a go.

"We were so happy about how it turned out. People definitely had fun."

Foodies alike rejoiced at the festival with an array of freshly-made cuisines on the menu from a range of local vendors.

Hungarian Artisan sausages, Japanese street food, Mexican churros, french crepes and classic Kiwi paua and mussel fritter were all on offer.

To wash it down, local brewers like Volcanic Hills Winery, Leveret Estate and Mills Reef and the Cider Factory all put their best bubbles forward.

Tauranga band Toner and Franks play at the festival. Photo / Supplied

She said vendors had been "really keen" to get along to the festival and she had been taking inquiries right up to the day.

The festival had turned out so well - she had many vendors already booked in for next year's festival, she said.

There had been concerns when the country was grappling with Covid-19 that the festival may not be able to run, however, she said they were thrilled to see such an amazing turnout.

"Some people are still a bit wary, but most are more than happy to get out."

She said the day would not have been possible without the help from community groups like the Sport and Recreation Club and the Lions Foundation, who helped with both setting up and packing down.