About 140 hardy souls enjoyed themselves at indoor events at the Catlins Woodstock Music Festival on Saturday, despite the heavy rain, which resulted in most of the planned weekend music events being cancelled.
Festival convener Russell Kirk (70) said he had taken the bad weather and the necessary change of plans in his stride.
"I just feel relieved that we got through so well."
He had been a main organiser throughout the festival's 21-year history, and was optimistic that it would continue.
But it was time for him to take a secondary role in future events.
Systems were in place, high-quality organisers were already contributing and there was a great deal of enthusiasm about the festival's future, he said.
Staged in a paddock south of Owaka, the festival is set in a natural amphitheatre and has previously attracted crowds of up to 3000 people.
The festival is usually held on the third weekend in January but had earlier been postponed this year because the paddock was sodden after prolonged unseasonal rain.
About 100 people had enjoyed five hours of live music under cover at the Catlins Woodstock Lodge function centre on Saturday.
About 40 other people had also enjoyed themselves well into that night with karaoke activities in a nearby shed, dubbed the "Woodstock Hilton".
The many participants had responded positively to being advised early on Saturday that much of the show, including yesterday's events, would not be proceeding as planned because of the continuing bad weather, including "horizontal rain" on Saturday and high winds yesterday.
Mr Kirk recalled that when the festival was first being mooted 21 years ago, his wife, Veda, had jokingly suggested it be called "Catlins Woodstock" and the name had stuck. john.gibb@odt.co.uk
