Characters float by in Arrowtown parade

Thousands turned out for the annual Arrowtown Autumn Festival Street Parade on Saturday, basking in the autumn sun and marvelling at their stunning surroundings.

More than 50 businesses, organisations and community groups entered the parade, providing something to entertain everyone.

Slideshow: Arrowtown Autumn Festival 

A vintage car display led the parade through Buckingham St with the occupants dressed in period costume.

Following was a pipe band which led the floats through the main street.

Dogs, bikes, stilt walkers or jumpers and clowns were included, along with the beautiful Buckingham Belles - one of whom cartwheeled most of the way down the main street.

While it was the highlight of the first full day of the 2010 festival, those who had come from far afield had been entertained all morning by stalls at the market on the packed village green.

Queenstown entertainer Lyall McGregor sang for crowds outside the historic Buckingham St cottages, while on the Buckingham Green the Timaru Dixieland Jazz Band and the Heartleys played to a standing-room-only audience.

Organiser Deborah Husheer said it was "an amazing day".

"It was one of those perfect autumn days with clear blue sky and it was really warm.

We had very large numbers attending ... I would say at least 8000.

"The streets were lined about three deep the whole way along [and] the market was chock-a-block all day long."

On Saturday night, those around the main street could have been forgiven for thinking they had entered a time warp and found themselves in the 1970s as the Athenaeum Hall was packed out for the '70s Disco Inferno.

Mrs Husheer said it was a "brilliant" night, with many people unrecognisable in disco-inspired costumes.

The Village People were there, along with Elvis, a sailor, John Travolta circa Night Fever and a group of gorgeous Go-Go Girls.

The Buckingham Belles entertained again, along with Sean Vining and Karen Neil, before a DJ took over the sound system and blasted '70s hits for the rest of the night.

Last night, the Athenaeum Hall was packed again, with a sold-out opening performance of Company on Parade by the Arrow Entertainers.

Mrs Husheer said the show, featuring war-time songs and singalongs, was "definitely one to watch".

Festival action continues today with the first showing of Going for Gold, 25 years of Arrowtown Autumn Festival history captured on film, at Dorothy Brown's Cinema from 11am till noon.

Tomorrow, the highlights would be the Senior Citizen's Afternoon Tea and Guy Cater's Ultimate Comedy Show, both at the Athenaeum Hall.