(PD) - Tens of thousands of music fans and gourmands are expected to pour into Napa starting Friday for BottleRock, a three-day event that is marking its third year and appears to have found its groove.

The likes of Robert Plant and Gwen Stefani playing a venue that also serves as Napa’s fairgrounds is no longer a matter of shock here. Instead, such big-name acts — among more than 70 playing this weekend — are now expected as part of the BottleRock experience.

To kick it up a notch, the festival this year is adding a new culinary stage bringing musicians together with celebrity chefs, including rapper Snoop Dogg, who is expected to demonstrate his rolling techniques.

Sushi rolling, that is. Snoop will be paired with Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto.

Advance ticket sales for the music festival have been strong, said organizer Dave Graham, who predicted Thursday that total attendance over three days would top 100,000 and shatter previous records for BottleRock. Graham said he wasn’t anticipating major issues to arise with the larger crowds.

“I’m not nervous, which makes me nervous that I’m missing something,” said Graham, CEO of Latitude 38 Entertainment, which owns and organizes the event.

Graham observed the final preparations Thursday on the new “Sky Deck” at the Napa Valley Expo. The elevated area for VIP customers offers terrific views of the festival’s main stage, as well as private food and bar service.

The festival grounds feel more open this year, an unexpected upside of the magnitude-6.0 earthquake that rocked Napa in August and resulted in two of the expo’s main halls being red-tagged and torn down. Grandstands used for demolition derbies and other large events were also removed.

The food garden has been dramatically expanded, featuring numerous local restaurants and wineries. At the booth for Il Posto, an Italian restaurant in Napa, co-owner Justin Graffigna was busy pulling together a menu that will include meatball sandwiches.