"We've got sufficient on the books now, but we're not turning people away," Miss Kirk said.
The kohanga reo groups included 3- and 4-year-olds from the Born and Raised Pasifika Early Childhood Centre.
"They are from different island groups and they have a lot of connection with Whanganui iwi through intermarriage, so we came for whanaungatanga," manager Hellen Puhipuhi said.
Carmel Wharepapa was part of a triathlon team from Upokongaro School. One member ran from the gardens to the Wanganui East Pool. Another swam 14 laps. Another ran from the pool back to the riverside and the fourth paddled the river back to the gardens.
"We were the youngest crew. The rest were all adults and secondary schools. It was awesome," she said.
After the schools did their kapa haka, Te Taikura o te Awa Tupua got up and performed. Mariana Waitai, who has multiple involvements with Pakaitore, said it was tremendously valuable to have those old people performing in front of the youngsters.
"The songs that they sing are the river songs and that's what our young people will end up carrying."
The day was partly to celebrate the beginning of the river tribes' occupation of the gardens, and partly to celebrate Whanganuitanga.
Ms Waitai said Whanganuitanga was Whanganui iwi "mixing together with ourselves and the community and enjoying the variety and diversity of who we are."
A man who didn't want to be named said Whanganuitanga meant people and land.
"It means the people that have gone before us and those treasures left by our ancestors."
Teenagers Heather Matoe, Raumati McDonnell and Tuupuhi Karaitiana said it was about "coming together as one and celebrating our land and our river".
Adults from Te Puawai o te Aroha Te Kohanga Reo also had a collective definition: "to all come together as one ... us being us ... coming together celebrating Whanganui".
For Te Tai Hauauru MP Tariana Turia, the definition was more political.
"Basically it's a statement that clearly establishes to the Crown that we believe we have sovereign rights. It's an acknowledgement that we never, ever ceded sovereignty to the Crown."
Mrs Turia was one of the key figures during the occupation.
"I remember that we started off with about 200 people and ended up at times with over 2000 people here. Essentially it was people honouring the essence of who they were as descendants and supporters of Whanganuitanga."
The fiscal envelope was being proposed to settle Maori grievances, and expected in Wanganui at that time.
"We had the longest litigation in the history of this country over our river and our lands. We were looking to get into dialogue with the Crown," Mrs Turia said.
"Nineteen years later we are at the point of signing. In the meantime a lot of people have died. We will remember them all today."
