Heritage was the theme of this year's event, which began when a group of horse riders left Mt Stuart Reserve in the Manuka Gorge at 7am on the Sam Perkins Cavalcade, while a group of walkers left the Hillend Hall at 9am. Both groups slowly converged on Balclutha.
The Kai Point Coal Raft Race started later and the City Impact Church won the raft title for the second year in a row. Toni Dawson (23), of Balclutha, said the group of 15 took two hours to raft down the river.
The long tradition of pelting the rafters with eggs as they passed under the bridge was also maintained, with rafters using paddles to deflect them, or sheltering under umbrellas.
Festival organiser Jean Proctor said the day was "absolutely awesome and fantastic".
The festival also included the Ken Milne Classic triathlon and duathlon, Future Olympics, and the Big River Bikers Cruise.
The festival closed with the South Otago Theatrical Society's performance about the gold-rush era, focusing on Sam Perkins who achieved notoriety when he began a false gold rush to Mataura.
