City folk will be able to experience all the atmosphere of a country-style fair at the annual Ngatimoti Festival on Sunday October 25, along with some action-packed sporting spectacles.

Traditional country fair activities such as wood chopping, sheep-shearing and pony rides will feature at the festival, being held in the Ngatimoti School grounds. Festival-goers will also be able to have a go at the ``guess where the cow pat will land'' competition and get up close to the petting animals.

The festival always draws a large crowd and this year the crowd is expected to be even larger, with the addition of a new event, the Firepit Pump Track Jam for mountainbike and BMX riders. The jam will see riders pit themselves against the clock and each other as they race around the recently developed pump track next to the school. The riders will be trying to negotiate the track's humps, berms and corners as quickly as possible without pedalling - providing plenty of dramatic action for spectators.

The festival will also have live music, hot rods and a vintage car display, and for the children a nifty Noddy train, mini ferris wheel, bouncy castle, and a magician.
Art, crafts, plants and second-hand treasures will be on sale, along with an array of food and drink such as spit lamb sandwiches, curries, beer and wine. There will also be a silent auction. 

The festival runs from 10am to 4.30pm and entry is by gold coin. For those travelling to the festival from outside the Motueka Valley area, look out for the scarecrows marking the route to the school grounds.

Further information on the festival is available at www.ngatimotifestival.co.nz and information on the Firepit Pump Track Jam is available at www.firepit.co.nz