Guests made up of regulars, new, old and young filled their seats at the bulging dinner tables.
Convener Kathy Richardson said: "We sold out our 99 tickets and had to turn people away.
"Our aim was to attract newcomers and young people to the event and I believe we achieved that tonight."
The dinner drew guests from Invercargill and further afield to not just celebrate the bard but to connect with their Scottish heritage and reunite with friends.
Lilian Capil said she loved the bagpipes and the Scottish music.
"I’ve been coming to this dinner for years; it’s the number one event on my social calendar."
He said he felt heartened by the Scottish singing and enjoyed "the company and the atmosphere of the event".
Young singer Kayla Wilcox, a regular performer at the dinner, moved the audience with her renditions of Go Lassie Go and the Sky Boat Song.
Bruce McNaughton regarded the dinner as a way of celebrating his Scottish heritage and heralded Robbie Burns as a way of bringing the community together.
"My father, like many others, provided money to build the Scottish Hall and not many know this but this place holds the tartans for all the Scottish clans that settled in New Zealand and it’s the only place in Australasia to have that," he said.
Throughout the evening, traditions reigned with the traditional Selkirk Grace, address to the haggis and toast to the haggis, king, Scotland, New Zealand, the Lassies and the man himself — Robbie Burns.
- By Nina Tapu
