The Blossom Festival would definitely "live to see another day" thanks to the combined efforts of a vast number of people who rallied in support this year, chairwoman Clair Higginson said at the festival's closing event.
Speaking at the Mirror WoolOn Creative Fashion event on Saturday night, Ms Higginson said the community's "buy-in" had ensured the festival would survive.
"The thing to remember is that the Blossom Festival is not dead and it will live to see another day, " she told about 400 people who attended the fashion awards in Alexandra.
Its success this year was because of a brilliant effort by the many people who got involved, she said.
"That's really been the key - more involvement by the community."
Six months ago, the festival's future was in doubt after three successive years of losses.
The festival was declared insolvent and the Vincent Community Board agreed to a bail-out.
This year's "back-to-basics" festival, with a trimmed-down budget, recorded a profit, which meant about $15,000 would go towards a "seeding fund" for the 2011 event, Ms Higginson said.
The WoolOn awards have been part of the festival programme for the past five years.
This year it was staged over two evenings for the first time, to cater for a bigger audience.
Napier designer Laurel Judd won the supreme award for the third time.
Her entry, which consisted of a striped and spotted dress, coat and pillbox hat had "attitude", the judges said.
The judges - fashion designer Tamsin Cooper, of Arrowtown, designer Sara Aspinall, of Dunedin, and fashion retail manager Sara Jackson, of Dunedin - said the garment embraced the woollen theme.
"This piece had attitude, with a strong play of patterns, textures and colour contrast.
"All elements complemented each other and, for the judges, this was the most polished, well-executed outfit, with flair deserving of the supreme award," they said.
Half the 30 entries were from Central Otago-based designers.
The supreme award carried a $2000 cash prize and the six category winners each received $500.
For the second year in a row, the event attracted an international entry, a street-wear garment from Connie Lene Johnston, in Holland.
WoolOn began seven years ago and was started as part of the New Zealand Merino Shearing Championships to showcase the use of wool in fashion.
Category winners this year were: knitwear: Daphne Randle, of Alexandra; special occasion: Donna Hansen, of Christchurch; street-wear: Viv Tamblyn, of Gore; felted: Rebecca Thompson, of Auckland; accessory: Carolyn Laing, of Alexandra; creative: Laurel Judd, of Napier.
Novice exhibitor Georgia Rabbitt (17), of Alexandra, received a special merit award.
