About 15,000 people attended the Waitangi Day Family Celebrations event at Mitre10 Park in Hastings. Photo / Ian Cooper
About 15,000 people attended the Waitangi Day Family Celebrations event at Mitre10 Park in Hastings. Photo / Ian Cooper
Thousands of people were out about in Hawke's Bay on Saturday at events celebrating and commemorating the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi.
A total of 15,000 people attended the Waitangi Day Family Celebrations event on Saturday hosted by Ngati Kahugnunu Iwi at the Mitre10 Sports Park in Hastings.
Event manager Te Rungi Huata said they didn't expect that size of turnout on a weekend when lots of events were on.
Crowds enjoying the entertainment at the Waitangi Day Family Celebrations event. Photo / Ian Cooper
"We had more than 2000 cars arrive and the traffic was so heavy that some of the performing groups had to park on the road and walk in because the traffic was too slow," he said.
Huata said it was obviously a good issue to have and they were delighted with the amount of people who came and genuinely enjoyed themselves.
He said 95 per cent of the vendors had sold out of food by the end of the event.
Waitangi commemorations in Clive attracted about 400 people to a hikoi and powhiri on Saturday morning.
Waipureku Waitangi Trust trustee Maxine Boag said the day and the ceremony was considerably bigger than last year and held a lot of significance.
A karakia followed by a hikoi and a powhiri took place, starting at Atea a Rangi, the Celestial Compass in Waitangi Park, Awatoto. Photo / Supplied
"There was a very strong connection at the commemoration with the water and the river where the Treaty was signed, which was the absolute lifeblood for local people in those days," she said.
Waipureku, formerly a pa site near the mouth of the Tukituki river means "the meeting of waters" and is being cited as the Maori name for Clive.
The morning started off at the with a karakia at 7.45am at Atea a Rangi, the Celestial Compass in Waitangi Park, Awatoto.
Boag said this was followed by a hikoi of hope along the riverbank to the haka powhiri by mana whenua at Farndon Park at 8.30am, with Hukarere Girls' College and Te Aute College assisting with the welcome.
Hukarere Girls College assisted the mana whenua at Farndon Park where the powhiri took place. Photo / Supplied
"The hikoi was led by some of the descendants of one of the three chiefs who signed the treaty at 1840 at Waipureku," she said.
Boag added that the commemoration had a very good turnout of dignitaries and everyone made an effort to be "true to the spirit of the day".
CHB also had a couple of events on in remembrance of the signing of the Treaty.
The Nga Ara Tipuna storytelling trail showcased the trail of seven sites of cultural and natural significance at Waipukurau and Takapau.
The Otane Country Fair celebrated its 21st birthday as well as Waitangi Day at the Otane Town Hall on Saturday.
