They were boosted by an annual Christmas rally for the New Zealand Motor Caravan Association, which brought about 100 camper vans and caravans to the town for the weekend.
Fare committee chairwoman Joy McIvor said one strawberry grower, Donald Butler, had to go back to his strawberry farm three times to get more stock.
''On his way, he passed 120 cars coming into Waimate from the [SH1] turn-off,'' she said.
The fare's 250 sites were full on Seddon Square and Boland Park but, with latecomers arriving, Mrs McIvor estimated there were probably 270 on the day.
Used by some people as a great place to do Christmas shopping, there was everything on offer, from merino clothes to water filters, and even psychic readings to predict where people were headed.
Food stalls had the usual fare of hot dogs and chips, but also the more exotic, from whitebait patties, dressed potatoes to Spanish doughnuts.
But it was the strawberry stalls that were the most popular, many people wandering around eating strawberries and ice cream or with punnets in bags.
In addition there were cherries vying for a place.
''I was very happy,'' Mrs McIvor said about the fare.
''But it is the big crew of volunteers that makes it such a success.''
