Fifty years ago, the first Weston Church Fair raised the equivalent of $610. Last year it raised $8000 and has become a major fund-raiser for the church.
The fair on June 22 celebrates half a century.
''It has always been a country fair, with trimmings, and a Waiareka-Weston community effort,'' parish minister the Rev Nancy Parker said yesterday.
Everyone thought the first fair in 1963 raised ''a princely sum'', but they never realised 50 years on it would still be going strong.
Little had changed in the format since, and some stall-holders had been coming for about 30 years. For example, Denise Payne, running the ''children's treasures'', had been collecting items over the year for the fair.
However, the times of the fair had changed, Mrs Parker said.
It used to run from 10am to 4pm, with soup for lunch and a time for the community to gather and share.
The fair still started at 10am, but finished at noon. Even before the start time, there was usually a queue for the best bargains.
Stalls include firewood, children's treasures, farm produce (meat and vegetables), gardening, handcraft, sweets, jams, preserves, chutneys, white elephant and books. The youth group will provide a barbecue, there will be a home-made morning tea, a cake decorating competition and a surprise auction at 11am.
