The family fun day at the Naseby Domain has been staged on New Year's Day for almost a decade and yesterday's event was attended by more than 500 children, resident in the Maniototo or on holiday in the area.
Naseby residents John and Jill Smith began the event to focus on the children in the community, as often the New Year's Eve celebrations were more aimed at the adults.
The family fun day proved so popular it has remained an annual fixture.
Bill Morice, of Naseby, was the head of the organising team this year and said children paid $1 to gain entry into the domain for the afternoon.
That entitled them to take part in a wide range of activities, and also bought them some candy floss.
"We always seem to get a nice day for this, and the kids just love it.
"There were queues waiting to get in this afternoon," he said.
A water slide, compliments of the Naseby Fire Brigade, was popular in the 27degC heat, while a range of other games to suit all ages, and rides in a vintage vehicle, also kept the youngsters absorbed throughout the two-hour event.
Mr Morice said the "old-fashioned" games like three-legged races and sack races appealed to the children, and a family-challenge obstacle event capped off the afternoon's fun.
Parents and caregivers accompanied their children but the focus was on making the day special for the younger folk.
