At the Brighton Domain the day started with what organiser Colin Weatherall said was "testing" weather for people setting up stalls, with winds that wheeled 360 degrees and upset those putting up marquees about 7am.
Some gave up, but there were still about 180 stalls and a mostly packed domain later in the morning when the temperature hit close to 23degC.
Stalls with racks of dream catchers rattled in blustery weather as children were led around on tiny ponies or screamed at the top of their lungs on fairground rides, drowning out a spruiker promising "everyone’s a winner, come in, come over".
As a southerly blew through and the temperature rapidly plunged to 15degC, Otago Museum Discovery World co-ordinator Amadeo Enriquez-Ballestero thrilled an audience of children with his science experiment, using liquid nitrogen to cause an explosive eruption of foam.
Mr Enriquez-Ballestero said nearby firefighters had added firefighting foam to the barrel he used for his experiment, foam that ended up coating a few viewers downwind.
His public experiments were to get "every single person to appreciate how cool science is and how it benefits people".
Mr Weatherall said the event started 21 years ago as a small community activity to support Brighton.
Last year about 12,000 had turned up and Mr Weatherall said this year’s event had attracted just under 10,000.
The non-profit event raised between $70,000 and $100,000 for charities involved.
