Celebrity chef Michael Van de Elzen, from TV One's Kiwi Living, will headline the Central Districts Food and Wine Show.

The organisers are aiming for a festival flavour at this year's Palmerston North food and wine expo.

The Central Districts Food and Wine Show's 80 exhibitors range from food and wine tastings and craft beer to food trucks, kitchen gadgets and cooking demonstrations – backed by a soundtrack of live music.

Event organiser Renee Murray said they aimed to create a food and wine lover's dream at the Awapuni Racecourse on Saturday and Sunday, with more of a festival feel than an industry insider's expo.

The racecourse's event centre will feature exhibits from craft beer makers and New Zealand wineries, such as Elephant Hill Winery and Stonecroft Wines.

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Expo attendees will also get the chance to sharpen their cooking skills with free-demonstrations by celebrity chef Michael Van de Elzen, from popular TVNZ shows Kiwi Living and The Food Truck.

Murray said getting Van de Elzen was a bit of a coup for a fledgling expo.

"He hasn't been to Manawatū for a long time, so he was really keen to come along."

There will be a "food truck village" outside the main building, featuring 15 food trucks, including most of the local favourites from the popular Thursday Night Street Feasts in The Square.

"These things tend to grow over the years. There's a lot of potential for the Central Districts Food and Wine Show to become another major event on the calendar for Palmerston North."

For example, the Manawatū Home Show grew from a tiny single-hall event more than 20 years ago into the country's second largest home show, she said.