Owner David Bryce said he was thrilled with the community support, from Kingston, Queenstown, the wider Central Otago region and Otago and Southland.
"A lot of Southlanders travelled up ... a lot of people from Otago.
"Otago and Southland are both 'local'.
"There were lots and lots of kids ... it's a great time out for the families."
Mr Bryce said he was overwhelmed with the feedback from the passengers, who took a trip from Kingston to Fairlight and return.
The majority had been "so appreciative the Kingston Flyer is operating again".
The weekend, which will be held every year over the last weekend in March, also raised money for the Stroke Foundation of New Zealand. Proceeds from every ticket sold went to the foundation.
After Mr Bryce suffered a stroke last year, the foundation was integral to his recovery.
He told the Queenstown Times last night the amount of money raised had not been finalised, but it had been "very well supported" and many people had given donations in addition to purchasing tickets.
