''This was what we've been working towards for several years and we've got the formula just about perfect,'' event manager Martin McPherson said yesterday.
That ''formula'' for the 57th festival's main day on Saturday included a couple of elements out of the organisers' control - the weather and crowd behaviour.
Both were in good form for most of the day - the temperature reached 18degC during the parade and police praised festival-goers' good behaviour.
Mr McPherson and festival chairwoman Clair Higginson said the number of people going into Pioneer Park following the parade was the biggest crowd for several years. Mr McPherson estimated it was 7000-8000 people.
Thousands of people also lined Alexandra's main streets to watch the procession, which featured nine floats, 32 trucks, assorted motorcycles, stock cars, vintage cars and tractors, five pipe bands, one band on bicycles, gymnasts, marchers and two llamas.
''This year's festival is what we want them all to be - a celebration that mums, dads, grandparents and kids can all come along to, with a great atmosphere throughout,'' Mr McPherson said.
The crowd seemed to agree, with many lingering on in the park until the end of the day's entertainment. Dunstan High School year 13 pupil, Cara Wiffen, from the Alexandra Youth Forum's Otago Rescue Helicopter float, was crowned the Festival Queen.
Judges Peter Hishon, Vanessa Breen and Yvonne McMurray said she ''shone'' right from the start of judging. Miss Wiffen
(18) is the forum chairwoman and said she loved every minute of being a festival princess.
''I've actually had so much fun - I enjoyed meeting and getting to know all the other girls, being in the procession, having photos with all the wee kids that wanted to sit in the helicopter with me - just everything so far and now the fun continues on.''
The first runner-up in the contest was Mel Gaul (23), from The Terrace School float, and second runner-up was Sarah Hesson (17), from the Lodge Manuherikia float. Miss Hesson was originally the princess for ''Biggles to the Rescue'', a float entered by a group called Life is Precious, which featured a large model of a 12-week-old foetus, cradled in two hands and a sign saying ''Adoption rescues me''.
The float was deemed by festival organisers to be inappropriate and it was withdrawn from the parade. Miss Hesson was given a place on another float, so she could remain in the contest.
St Gerard's School's Smurf-themed float won the people's choice award and scored 1424 votes, winning by more than 400 votes.
Volunteers spanning three generations worked on the float. Yesterday's main festival drawcards were the Thunder Sunday Drag Racing at the Alexandra airport and the Garden Tours.
The festival continues until October 12 and the Woolon creative fashion show is the final event.
