For those who have been chomping at the bit to try a new dish, the chance is waiting at the Historic Hormel Home.

The fourth annual Foodie Throwdown is here, and tickets are selling fast. HHH Executive Director Holly Johnson said there are about 150 people signed up, and the event can hold up to 175 people. But this isn’t the first year the event has drawn a large crowd.

“We’ve had over 100 at every event,” Johnson said.

The event will feature six food enthusiast teams that will create food to the theme of “Taste of the Cinema.” The HHH doors will open at 6 p.m. Saturday night with a social hour filled with live music, an open cash bar and popcorn. Food sampling will take place from 7 to 8:30 p.m., and attendants will vote for their favorite dish and dessert. The winner will be announced at 9 p.m.

Johnson said creating the theme each year is the difficult part of the event.

“The theme is really exciting,” she said. “That’s the hardest part for us to come up with something every year to keep it fresh for the chefs.”

She listed several movies the food enthusiasts have taken on, including “Pirates of the Caribbean,” “Forest Gump,” “Fried Green Tomatoes,” “The Three Amigos” and “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon.”

“We’ve got a huge variety of themes,” Johnson said.

The event started four years ago, likely due to the rise in food challenges on television and people doing more creative things in their homes, Johnson said.

Although she wasn’t around when the idea came about, she said it was likely inspired by the popularity with food hobbyists. She said there are no signs of the event slowing down; instead, the event will likely grow as the fifth anniversary comes up next year.

“We’re already talking about ways we can develop it further and do a special five year anniversary of it next year,” Johnson said.

Tickets cost $30 per person, and the money goes to support the HHH. The food enthusiasts — some of whom are chefs at restaurants, some who used to cook professionally and some who just love to cook — include Amy Riley, Wade Kolander, Neal Hull and daughter Berghyn Hull, Gareth Hataye and Alan Rasell, Christine Wolner and her co-cook, and Josh and Andrea Diaz. Most of the cooks have been involved in the event before while some, like Riley, are new this year.

“Several of our chefs are repeats,” Johnson said. “They like to come back every year to see if they can continue pleasing the crowd.”

Johnson anticipates the event will be creative, as she said some of the cooks get very creative decorating their space while some of them will go very simple.

“There will be lots of different themes to look at,” she said. “Some of them will come in character — so you never know.”

Johnson hopes attendees will gain a larger respect for the creativeness of the cooks

“Most people desire to try different things, but to do it on a scale of 175 people, it takes a lot of courage,” she said.

Foodie Throwdown

When: Doors open at 6 p.m. Saturday night. Food sampling will take place from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Winner announced at 9 p.m.

Where: Hormel Historic Home

Tickets: $30