A truly "big day out" was enjoyed by more than 12,000 people, as much of Dunedin made its way along the coast for Sunday’s Brighton Gala Day.
Co-organiser Colin Weatherall was delighted with the turnout for the event.
Crowds flocked to Brighton Domain from early in the day to explore the wares of 180 stalls, sample a range of foods, eat ice creams, enjoy displays and children’s rides.
"The stall holders and food vendors did good volumes throughout the day, and the rides were busy," Mr Weatherall said.
"Overall, we were well up on last year."
Highlights of the event included the arrival of the Police Armed Offender’s Squad — which spent time explaining to people what they do — science demonstrations by Otago Museum, as well as the popular Helicopters Otago scenic flights.
Enthusiastic collectors raised funds for the Brighton Surf Life Saving Club at the gate of the free community event. The total is still to be finalised.
While everything flowed well inside the Brighton Domain, traffic was backed up as far as Waldronville, as carloads of people made their way to the site, Mr Weatherall said.
There were buses making their way to Brighton during the day, but unfortunately these were not well utilised by the public.
"It was a bit of a challenge for people to get to the domain at times, but people seemed to enjoy themselves.
"This was a return to the heyday of Brighton Gala Day — it was the biggest crowd we have had in five years."
