Logo for the Local Wild Food Festival featuring a fork, knife, and spoon with antlers, and a banner with the festival name.

Save the Date

Saturday, 13 March 2027

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Vendor expression of interest open now!

Click here to apply now

We are now inviting expressions of interest from food vendors, beverage providers, market stallholders, and community groups to be part of this signature summer event.

Why apply?

  • Be part of an award-winning food festival.

  • Showcase your business to 2,000+ attendees.

  • Trade at a signature Eastern Bay summer event.

  • Celebrate local and wild food alongside leading vendors and producers.

Vendor fees

  • Market stallholders - $75 + GST ($86.25 incl. GST)

  • Food vendors & Non-alcoholic beverage providers - $150 + GST ($172.50 incl. GST)

  • Alcohol providers - $500 + GST ($575.00 incl. GST)

  • Community environmental / eco-care groups - Free of charge

The Local Wild Food Festival is one of the Eastern Bay of Plenty’s most iconic events, celebrating abundant food found in our diverse natural environment.

Showcasing food from the land, rivers, lakes and sea, the festival brings together resourceful people passionate about sustainable living. You won’t find anything too wild or whacky at our wild food festival – just good food foraged, grown, caught or hunted from our environment.

Join us for a day of wild food tastings, demonstrations, cooking challenges and live music set amongst ancient Pōhutukawa, overlooking the Best Beach in Aotearoa.

The Local Wild Food Festival is run in partnership with mana whenua

Ngāti Hokopū

Grants

Logo of Whakatane District Tourism with a stylized sun and orange details, and the text "Whakatane District" and "Everything under the sun".
Trust Horizon logo with stylized horizon and sun on black background.

Sponsors

Green and white map of the world with the text 44°S indicating 44 degrees south latitude.
Logo of Redwoods Treewalk featuring two stylized green redwood trees inside a circle with the text 'Redwoods Treewalk' below.
Logo - Yellow background with black text displaying "PAK n SAVE" and "WHAKATANE"
Logo for Polynesian Spa featuring a blue and orange semi-circular design above the text 'POLYNESIAN SPA' and 'GEOTHERMAL HOT SPRINGS AND THERAPIES' in orange.
Logo for Ohope Beach Motel with blue and green wavy lines and text.
Group of five people standing on stage during an award ceremony at the NZEA Event awards receiving a award for Community or Not-for-profit (under 3000 participants) Event of the Year 2025

Award Winning

Where wild kai meets world-class events. What started as a small gathering at Te Mānuka Tūtahi Marae in 2013 has flourished into a nationally celebrated festival sensation, with the Local Wild Food Festival claiming the Community or Not-for-Profit Event of the Year (under 3000 attendees) award at the 2025 New Zealand Events Association awards ceremony.

A graphic announcing the winner of the Local Wild Food Festival and Whakatāne District Council Community or Not-for-Profit Event of the Year 2025, with the NZEA New Zealand Event Awards logo.