A bumper crowd turned out to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Hawke's Bay Farmers' Market yesterday.
Blustery winds didn't spoil the festive atmosphere at the showgrounds, with stalls decorated with balloons and birthday messages.
Many fresh produce stalls were sold out well before the close of the market, with Scott's StrawberryFarm selling out within an hour.
"We brought in more produce than we normally sell and, from nine to 10 o'clock, we sold everything," Billy Scott said.
"Normally, we'd take three hours to sell that quantity."
Scott's have had a stall at the Farmers' Market since it began 10 years ago. Mr Scott said that over the years the market had become more of a social event.
"It's a fun family thing and a lot of people treat it as a day out," he said.
Hastings orchard Pernel Fruitworld were also among the first stallholders at the market. Director Dave Mardon said he'd seen it grow from about 15 stalls to more than 50.
He said the chance to meet customers face-to-face made working at the market enjoyable for growers. "And the fact that we can do tastings of our product," he said. "It's a bit like fishing - if you can get a bit of good product in their mouth, you've got them hooked."
The market also featured children's entertainment and a competition for the best-decorated stall.
