It is now one of the busiest Christmas traditions in Sydney, but the Sydney Fish Market's annual seafood marathon started by accident.
"We always get together with our tenants as we're planning the Christmas trade," says the market's general manager Bryan Skepper. "I actually remember the meeting, we asked them all when they were going to open and shut.
"It was George Costi, of De Costi fame. George says 'we may as well stay open all night'. And so that was the start of it."
The 36-hour extravaganza has now been running for 22 years and is the biggest trading period for the Sydney Fish Market, with more than 100,000 people expected to pick up last-minute treats for their Christmas banquets.
"It seems to get bigger and better every year," Skepper says. The family-friendly affair sees stallholders don Santa hats for extra cheer and Saint Nick pops in on Sunday from 10am to noon.
Skepper advises shoppers bring a cooler to ensure seafood purchases stay in prime condition, and for prawn-lovers his pro tip is to go small. "I actually prefer the school prawns," he says. "They're a bit fiddly, but they're much tastier and they come at a better price."
Skepper says since the marathon falls on a weekend this year, he suspects things may be calmer than usual as visitors should be spread more evenly throughout the 36 hours.
For those not planning to eat a noon meal at the market, he suggests avoiding lunchtime as it can get crowded.
36-Hour Seafood Marathon, until 5pm, Sydney Fish Market, Bank Street, Pyrmont, free, sydneyfishmarket.com.au