Whangarei's Holland Festival is set to become an annual event after Saturday's celebrations drew well over 1000 people to the Quarry Arts Centre for a day of all things Dutch.
Organised by migrant Monique Dane, the festival aimed to give Northlanders of Dutch descent a chance to celebrate their heritage while giving other Northlanders a taste of a typical Dutch street party.
The event is based on Koninginnedag (Queen's Day), a party which draws millions of revellers to streets and squares across the Netherlands every April 30.
Last year's festival was originally intended as a one-off because Queen's Day fell on a Saturday, but the event proved so popular organisers agreed to do it again.
Attractions included a children's market, traditional Dutch games, performances by the Auckland Dutch Dancers, an evening sing-along to Dutch pub songs, and delicacies ranging from oliebollen (Dutch doughnuts) to haring (pickled herring). Stallholders were asked to double last year's supplies but food still ran out by 3pm.
New this year were performances by the Auckland-based Mandolinata Orchestra and an exhibition by Northlanders of Dutch heritage called Art Hollandaise.
Ms Dane estimated Saturday's crowd was double last year's 1000-strong turnout, and most had turned up wearing orange, the Netherlands' national colour. The idea was to recreate a Dutch street party but with a Northland twist.
"Now it looks like there's enough buy-in, not just from Dutch people but also from the Kiwis, it'll be back next year bigger and better," she said.
Dutch-born Whangarei District councillor Jeroen Jongejans said it was great to see the festival growing into a significant annual event.
"It's fantastic to see all the orange colour and so many smiling people ... celebrating their roots."
Also represented at the festival was the Dutch Connection, a group working to build a museum in Foxton exploring the links between the Netherlands and New Zealand since Abel Tasman's visit in 1642.
About 140,000 New Zealanders - 3 per cent of the population - are Dutch or of Dutch descent, the group says.
Art Hollandaise continues at Yvonne Rust Gallery, at the Quarry Arts Centre on Selwyn Ave, until May 15.