Thousands flock to see homegrown stars

Summerfest looks like becoming a regular feature of Tauranga's festival calendar after at least 8000 people enjoyed a trouble-free day of being entertained by the Bay's top home-grown music talent.

"It's been amazing," organiser Tracey Rudduck-Gudsell from Creative Tauranga said.

The inaugural alcohol-free festival was a beacon to families who sought a safe environment for their children and for young teens who say they have nothing to do - what she called tweenagers.

"We have had so many pats on the back that we are feeling quite overwhelmed," she said.

Ms Rudduck-Gudsell said they organised Summerfest believing that the demand was there for this type of alcohol-free event, and they had been proved right.

"We feel we have listened to the community by giving them what they asked for."

The debriefing over the next few days would include a decision about whether there would be another Summerfest next year.

"I hope we will do it again."

Part of its success was that it was so affordable - a gamble that needed the large numbers that attended.

Tauranga Round Table president Warren Bigwood said it had been virtually trouble-free with only one young teen kicked out for behaving like an idiot. The worst case treated by St John was a dehydrated teenage girl.

He noticed the crowd swelled from about 2pm with people looking to enjoy the final round of bands leading up to the big acts - the Aaron Saxon Band, Australian Idol winner Stan Walker and Jeremy Redmore's band Midnight Youth.

"The atmosphere has been great. Everyone's happy and everyone was on their feet when Stan took the stage."

Talking to members of a Whakatane band, Mr Bigwood was told how lucky Tauranga was to have an event like this.

"Making it alcohol free meant it attracted a different age group," he said.