Get ready: The surf is crashing into this year’s Canadian National Exhibition (CNE).

After attending an East Coast Kitchen Party in New Brunswick, the CNE’s director decided to bring it to the fair. The CNE is hosting the event for the first time on Saturday and Sunday.

“They just loved it and they thought ‘what a cool opportunity to bring some East coast love to the CNE,’” said Jed Corbeil, an organizer for the event.

“It’s a maritime kitchen party where you’ll have communal tables and east coast hospitality.”

On offer will be East coast booze and entertainment, local food trucks with their take on the region’s best eats and an oyster shucking competition.

East coast cuisine has been getting more love from the rest of Canada of late, said Simon Thibault, author of Pantry and Palate: Remembering and Rediscovering Acadian Food.

“People are looking to this area because we’ve always had this reputation for a few things one has been pristine oceans in terms of seafood,” said Thibault, adding it’s not all fish and chips out there.

Eight food trucks offer more traditional foods — such as fries with dressing and gravy, Halifax donairs and Acadian meat pie — and some more creative takes, from a shrimp corn dog to a lobster bomb and Halifax donair tacos.

East coast chef Michael Smith, who hails from Prince Edward Island, will also be at the CNE for his eighth year in a row, sharing his cooking secrets on Saturday at the Celebrity Chef Stage.

Tickets for a VIP dinner on Saturday night are also available for guests who want to eat whole lobster in a more upscale setting with prime views of live entertainment.

“We decided to have a VIP tent to have a really nice high-end lobster boil and oyster bar,” Corbeil said.

Visitors can also get “screeched in,” a Newfoundland tradition to make outsiders honorary members of the province that involves taking a shot of rum, reading a passage and kissing a cod. The CNE’s cod is wooden, they also have a wooden puffin to kiss, Corbeil said.