Te Whare Koa Marae Trust chairman Joseph Cropley said the community response to the marae's invitation to mark the national holiday together was a success.
More than 50 people attended throughout the day.
He said his marae's goal was to create a space where Waitangi Day could be celebrated by all and not reduced to a day which people bemoaned.
Waitaki District councillor Jim Hopkins said there was no reason New Zealand could not surpass countries such as the United States and Australia in how they celebrated their national days.
He said given New Zealand was already better than its allies in a range of activities, including some sport and choosing its political leaders, it should not be too hard a goal to reach.
Te Whare Koa Community Marae is a Nga Hau e Wha marae which means it is open to members of all iwi who may be away from their home and need a marae to visit.
Inside the marae, Waitaki District deputy mayor Melanie Tavendale addressed the crowd and said the day was an opportunity for everyone to learn from the past and to acknowledge differences, while celebrating shared dreams and aspirations for a peaceful, positive future.
``On a day that can be marked with controversy, we choose to meet as friends and as a community.
``We need to recognise the injustices of the past, and the need to put right the wrongs that were done.
``Waitangi Day needs to be more than just a public holiday. Collectively we need to get better at acknowledging the history of the day, and use it as a way to celebrate how far we have come as a nation. We are better together and our differing cultures only add to the uniqueness of our story.''
Mike Mullins, of Oamaru, said the day was about celebrating culture and some of the activities which went with that such as kapa haka, arts and craft and sport like Ki-o-rahi.
``This place is here for the community. We're trying to grow those links.''
The marae was also a base for learning Maori, he said.
Yesterday was the first time he had spoken on a marae. He cut the speech short because of his limitations with the Maori language.
He said it was struggle many Maori faced and the lack of fluency was seen by some Maori as a barrier to their cultural heritage.
