The Te Anau Waitangi Festival week started on Wednesday night with an event at the Arts Hub which included a mihi whakatau, a supper and live music.
Te Anau Waitangi Charitable Trust chairwoman Jill Mitchell-Larrivee was pleased with the turnout.
"It was a brilliant start — the venue was packed with a mix of locals and visitors, who enjoyed a kai, exhibition and live music.
"It set the community up for the weekend."
The week-long event was organised to commemorate this important day in New Zealand’s history and the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
"Each year, we agree on a theme for the Waitangi Day programme, and we carry this theme — sometimes it is a whakataukī — through the year with other events.
"The theme for 2023 is ‘Journeys’, and our festival programme is centred on He Huarahi o te Rua o te Moko or Fiordland Pathways," Ms Mitchell-Larrivee said.
The festival runs until Monday in Te Anau.
Among the activities are a Waitangi Day kapa haka, performance art, waka ama, waka sailing, a multimedia art exhibition, Human Library session, workshops and local history with Kāi Tahu historian Ron Bull.
