With the Whitianga Scallop Festival just around the corner, if you haven't got your ticket then you best get a wriggle on.

Tickets are selling out fast and this year there will be no gate sales for the deliciously tasty and much loved annual festival, which is returning to the Coromandel on Saturday, September 19.

Tickets are selling fast for the annual Whitianga Scallop Festival which returns on Saturday, September 19. Photos: Whitianga ScallopFestival

Event organiser Linda Simonsen says they expect more than 100,000 scallops will be shucked and cooked in a myriad of ways.

The festival will also feature more than 50 cuisine stands, which will be manned by a mix of local chefs, restaurants and community groups.

'One of our local restaurants, Castle Rock Café have created a mouth-watering dish just for the 2015 festival,” says Linda.

'It is pan seared Scallops with black pudding, cauliflower puree, lime chilli chutney and pancetta sticks. You can find them on site 35 in the Asahi Marquee.

'Celebrity chef Ray McVinnie, who helped us celebrate the Scallop Festival 10 year anniversary, also can't wait to return to the New World cooking stage for 2015 festival and joining him we welcome the Winners of Masterchef 2014 - Karena and Kasey Bird”

All the festival's chefs will be cooking two scrumptious scallop recipes on stage and the crowd will have a chance to taste their creations, and pick up a copy of the recipes to take home and try.

Keeping the New World cooking stage together once again Masterchef's Tracey- Lee Hooton will also be exchanging her cooking utensils for the MC microphone for the day.

There's also heaps of entertainment on offer throughout the day like Troupe Waihi, a group made up of Waihi College students who will amaze crowds with their unique blend of street theatre.

Local artist Tim Armstrong will be back performing at Stage on the Point, crowd favourite and rising star Coral Pitcher will perform a variety of original material and covers, and The Vegas Brown Band will also be performing on the Whitianga Waterways Music Stage to keep the crowd rocking!

'There's something for everyone including the Classic Photobooth where you can take home a photostrip for your fridge with your memories of the day.

'We will also have the festival favourites back again this year, the Sea Creature Stilt Walkers along with Neptune and his mermaid.”

Linda says if you fancy a round of golf, to make room for a few more scallops on the Saturday, then register for the Mercury Bay Golf Club – Scallop Festival Open.

She's also reminds people to visit the Whitianga Scallop Festival's Facebook Page and vote for their favourite scallop dish. Everyone who enters goes in the draw to win the Ultimate Whitianga Weekend for two adults.

The prize package includes accommodation, festival tickets, scallops from the CCM stand, wine from Mills Reef, glass bottom boat tour, a Lost Spring pool pass for two and more.

'We also have amazing prizes up for grabs for PowerCo best dressed, so get creative and colourful,” says Linda. 'Be sure to put your form in with your Vote and Win Page inside the festival programme with even more amazing prizes.”

'Don't delay in getting your tickets as they are selling fast. Only a limited number of tickets are available and once they are sold, there will be no gate sales on the day of the festival.”

The Whitianga Scallop Festival takes place on Saturday, September 19. For more information and to purchase tickets visit the festival's website at: www.scallopfestival.co.nz