The market day was held as a collaboration between Waikaka Valley Rural Women NZ and the Willowbank Windmill Committee.
At Hawthorn Den Inn, visitors could take a scenic tour through the gardens, peruse the wide variety of handcrafted goods, and enjoy a bite to eat, all in the name of restoring the windmill.
Willowbank Windmill Committee chairman Phillip Morrison said the day went very well.
‘‘It’s been great. Today seems particularly busy, so much is happening, but it’s still so great to see so much community support for it all,’’ he said.
Mr Morrison said the fete served two purposes for the windmill.
‘‘One is continue with the fundraising, and bringing in money to support to project.
‘‘The other part is maintaining community engagement. We want [the windmill] to be standing in 100 years’ time, and we need the community support for that to happen,’’ he said.
Mr Morrison said the windmill project was finally coming to fruition after nine years of work and fundraising, and he appreciated the shared workload.
‘‘I think if you were to ask us [In 2016, when the committee started], I think none of us would have appreciated the complexity involved in the project.
‘‘We expect next summer’s construction season, we might see progress on the windmill proper,’’ he said.
Waikaka Valley Rural Women NZ branch member Jeanette McIntyre said there was a festive, fun atmosphere at the fete.
‘‘There was such a lovely mood. It was a beautiful day, no clouds, no rain and wind. People have come for a day out, there’s no hassle.
‘‘It was just a pleasant day out, in such beautiful surroundings. You couldn’t get better than this, could you?’’
Mrs McIntyre said she was always amazed by the vendors who attended the fete.
‘‘It’s the talent, I really admire all the tremendous talents that are shown in a whole lot of different ways, what people can do,’’ she said.
Mrs McIntyre said another successful fete showed how the community could band together and get things done.
‘‘Of course we’re doing it to raise funding for the windmill, but it’s been such a lovely community thing to do. We have an unbelievable community in our district,’’ she said.
