Sports tournaments, the annual busking festival, eateries and accommodation providers full and fantastic weather all helped contribute to a bumper Labour Weekend in Tauranga.
Local retailers, in particular, were rapt with the number of extra people out on the streets, shopping and eating out, and taking in the Labour Weekend activities.
Mount Mainstreet chairwoman Jane Debenham said there was a "real buzz" in Mount Maunganui thanks to great weather and several events, including the annual Mount Busking Festival with a record 43 entries.
"It's a been a wonderful weekend and the streets have been packed yet everyone still managed to find a park and enjoy themselves," she said.
"With such awesome weather, people have flocked to the beaches and taken in a number of events and quite a few people have chosen to eat out at the local cafes and restaurants.
"I think people are willing to spend a little more over the long weekend. I do get the sense that the summer retail buzz has already started which bodes well for the rest of summer."
Debenham said with another cruise ship coming todayit was expected to be even busier.
Tauranga Mainstreet spokeswoman Sally Cooke said it was great to see more people out in the city centre including those visiting "Our Place" pop-up container village.
"It's really nice to see people enjoying themselves and visiting the shops and eating out at great downtown cafes and restaurants.
"A lot more of the cruise ship passengers are taking the shuttle bus into downtown Tauranga to check out the shops and take in some events, which is also great to see.
"We hope that has translated to a big weekend's trading for our retailers but we won't know how well they have done until later in the week," she said.
Greerton Village Community Association spokeswoman Sally Benning said with no events scheduled for Labour Weekend it was business as usual in the village on Saturday.
Tony Bullot, Accommodation New Zealand Bay of Plenty chairman, said it had been a great weekend for Tauranga moteliers with almost everyone full most days.
Although there were a few accommodation places available on Saturday night, they were quickly snapped up by last-minute bookings, thanks to the great weather, he said.
"The great weather bodes well as we head into the busy summer holiday season," he said.
The Smith Sports Shoes Junior Tennis Tournament was one of the events that held over this long weekend, attracting competitors from around the North Island.
Tournament organiser Alex Webster said the event was good for sports and Tauranga in general.
"The competition, held at the Papamoa Tennis Club, started on Saturday and finished yesterday afternoon with good weather and plenty of families enjoying the weekend."
Having sports events during the long weekend was always good for Tauranga because it attracted visitors, which helped boost the local economy, he said.
Mount Brewing Company owner Matt Hayward, who also owns the Hide bar, said it's been a great weekend at both establishments.
"Labour weekend really kicks off the start of our summer and Saturday night's takings were really strong at both places, and Hide was even slightly up compared to last year."
Hayward said other bars and restaurants along Maunganui Rd were also really busy packed with people eating and drinking and enjoying themselves.
Tauranga deputy mayor Kelvin Clout said both downtown Tauranga and Mount Maunganui were "pretty pumping" places this weekend.
"All the events on around the city clearly attracted huge crowds to the city and we have been very blessed with great weather which always helps to boost visitor numbers particularly over a long weekend, " Clout said.
"I'm sure the event organisers and retailers will be pretty happy about how the weekend has gone so far, and I'm told the bars and pubs on downtown Mount Maunganui were going off Saturday night," he said.
Tauranga residents shared how they spent some of their Labour weekend:
Summer Bennett, 28, Arataki Photo/George Novak
"I have spent most of my weekend at the Tauranga Moana Tangata Festival which has been amazing and our kids thoroughly enjoyed the chance to perform some kapa hapa."
—Summer Bennett, 28, Arataki
Jessica Durham, 28, Otumoetai Photo/George Novak
"We have spent most of the weekend relaxing and chilling out at home. In fact, I have hardly moved from the house but it's been a long gap between holiday breaks we really needed this weekend."
— Jessica Durham, 28, Otumoetai
Katrina O'Dea, 46, Bethlehem Photo/George Novak
"I took my 12-year-old son and three other boys to Slam Jump at Baywave, and today they also went for a swim at Memorial Pool and are running around at the park."
"Mostly just doing stuff at home and spending quality time with my family. Tomorrow we may take a little day trip to Rotorua if the weather is still good."
— Jeannine Tolley, Papamoa
Jenay Tamati, 26, Poike. Photo/George Novak
"It's been a pretty full weekend so far. I spent Saturday playing in a softball game during our Rangiuru Rugby Club's 125th-anniversary celebrations. Today we're celebrating my brother's 7th birthday down at Memorial Park." —Jenay Tamati, 26, Poike
