Wind may have flapped roofs off stalls yesterday but it did not fluster organisers of The Big 9 at Hawke's Bay Sports Park.
The free Waitangi celebration, run by Ngati Kahungunu iwi, welcomed thousands through the gate despite unfavourable weather conditions.
Crowds were as diverse as the day which incorporated food, sports, art and entertainment ranging from Scottish dancing to hip hop and kapa haka.
"We are trying to make the 175th Waitangi Day memorable, it's already memorable because it's cold," the promotions manager for Ngati Kahungunu, Te Rangi Huata, said.
"Some of the vendors were setting up and hadn't locked everything down, about half-a-dozen lost their tops - that's the way it's going but as you can see the energy is great - we have sports going on and people are bringing their own level of togetherness."