One of New Zealand's biggest home-grown craft days in Pirongia on Sunday

The quiet settlement of Pirongia is set to burst into life during one of New Zealand's biggest home-grown craft days.

The annual Pirongia Craft Day, now in its 41st year, attracts around 12,000 people to Franklin Street, the Waipā town's attractive main thoroughfare.

Beginning early each year the event is organised by a team of volunteers and is firmly focused on home-made and home-grown crafts, food and entertainment.

The first Pirongia Cottage Crafts Festival Day was held in 1978 by a group of local crafts people keen to restore and preserve the original school building.

Over the years the craft day has become the major fundraiser for a range of local non-profit community groups and organisations.

Organiser Susan Ransfield said the event was a major community effort and would host about 200 stall-holders with another 50 on the waiting list.

Food outlets would be handled by 10 local groups and entertainment includes stilt walkers, bands, Viking re-enactors and a human gnome statue.

Fellow organising committee member Robyn Peters said the thing that made Pirongia special was its commitment to locally made and grown products including arts, crafts, plants, pottery, jewellery, clothing, painting and photography.

Some crafts people will provide practical demonstrations of their skills on the day.

"It has to be New Zealand made. There's no imports, commercial or second hand goods. That's the attraction that brings people back."

The annual Pirongia Craft Day will be on Sunday September 29, 9am to 3pm.

Pirongia is on SH39 and can be accessed from Hamilton, Te Awamutu and Ōtorohanga.

Eftpos available and ample parking. Check out the annual Pirongia Craft Day Facebook page. No dogs allowed.