Mrs Barsby said the five-day festival was a celebration of Dunedin's world-class heritage.
''We were the powerhouse of New Zealand.''
The festival began with a lecture last night from Prof Leach, about the New Zealand kitchen in the 20th century.
A heritage-themed PechaKucha night, with rapid-fire images and storytelling, is on at the Athenaeum basement at 6.30 tonight.