Corvettes and cake stalls, toffee apples and mustangs. Once again village life in Greerton is humming with spring in the air, following what some are saying was the best Cherry Blossom Festival yet!

And, that was without the famous Greerton Village cherry blossoms which are still due to flower over this coming week.

“The weather was perfect,” says Greerton Village Mainstreet Manager Mahia Martelli during the height of Saturday’s festival.

“It is so amazing. There are so many people here.  It’s a shame the cherry blossoms didn’t bloom but the weather has made up for it.”

Stilt walkers from Free Lunch Theatre Company Ltd from Hamilton. Photo: Supplied.

Not only was Chadwick Road packed with people and cars on display, but there was a gala at the Greerton Village School, and a large vintage clothing fair at the Greerton Hall on Cameron Road.

Usually held a week later, this year the event would have coincided with the first weekend of the school holidays, so the decision was made to go a week earlier so the school could hold their gala at the same time.

Mahia says the Thrifted Finds vintage fair inside the Greerton Hall was busy all day, with food trucks serving up coffee, won tons, smoothies, dumplings, lasagne and dosas.

The Thrifted Finds market inside the Greerton Hall. Photo: Mahia Martelli.

“I’ve never seen so much vibrancy in Greerton Hall. It was jam-packed full of people with a DJ inside with amazing music.

“And exciting street food outside.”

Food stall outside Greerton Hall. Photo: Supplied.

Food stall outside Greerton Hall. Photo: Supplied.

Stalls outside Greerton Hall. Photo: Supplied.

Mahia says the foot traffic was flowing from Greerton Hall along Cameron Road through the Greerton shopping centre down along Chadwick Road, effectively increasing the festival’s ‘footprint’ and bringing more people past the Cameron Road shops.

“That was my goal - to have something to move people through the village. I think that goal has worked out pretty well.”

She says the charity shops and op shops looked “super busy” and some of the retailers decorated their windows. Blomquist Bakery, MD’s Leatherworks and Visique Greerton all had stunning cherry blossom-themed window displays.

Cars were on display on Chadwick Road. Photo: Supplied.

Cars were on display on Chadwick Road. Photo: Supplied.

With parking available at the nearby Tauranga Racecourse, it meant thousands of people were able to descend on the village for the annual Greerton Village Cherry Blossom Festival which ran from 9am – 2pm.

Mahia says the cars were “looking delicious” on Chadwick Road. The Street Machines & Customs Tauranga Inc. members had their cars shining, polished and on show for the public to enthuse over. The top part of Chadwick Road was closed to traffic and the place was humming with music floating across the street, with people enjoying a meal while others checked out the cars.

“Such vibrant colours, it seems there are more cars here than we had last year,” says Mahia.

Dancing and live music in the village square. Photo: Supplied.

In the village square, the car club ran their annual fundraiser - an auction, with prize packs, tyres, car batteries and plenty of different raffles on offer.

Across the road on the curved path outside the Greerton School, Fuse Drumming put on a display.

“We had the Hittmen under the big oak tree. We had five to seven year olds and then teenagers doing the Hittmen. It was crowd pleaser. They were booked for two hours and they played off and on and the crowd loved it.”

Hittmen from Fuse Drumming. Photo: Supplied.

Deciding to “mix it up a bit this year” Mahia says entertainers were brought in from outside the Bay of Plenty.

“We had butterfly stilt walkers from the Free Lunch Theatre Company Ltd from Hamilton, and cartoon characters from Enchanted Entertainers NZ.

“The human monument was my favourite!”

The 'Human Monument'. Photo: Supplied.

In the Greerton Village School grounds, there were jeeps, a chair-o-plane, bouncy castles, stall holders, candy floss, sausage sizzle, seafood chowder, white elephant, face painting and an icecream extravaganza, along with live music.

“Reuben Ginns the principal from Greerton Village School said he expected over 5000 people to attend today and I think he’s correct,” says Mahia.

Stalls at the Greerton Village School gala. Photo: Supplied.

Dottie Crawford-Saunders, 4, and Moss Crawford-Saunders, 5, with their balloon animals at the Greerton Village School gala. Photo: Supplied.

Bouncy castles at the Greerton Village School gala. Photo: Supplied.

Characters from Enchanted Entertainers NZ with Amara-Ann Martelli, 5, a pupil from St Mary's School, who dressed up as a cherry blossom for the festival. Photo: Mahia Martelli.

Mahia says the racecourse parking was full, as people took advantage of the short walk into the village from the racecourse.

“I think it made a good impact on the day having the racecourse open for parking.”

Comments made across social media included “It was an awesome day. We loved it! And the weather was perfect. A good variety of stalls, fun, music, something for everyone” while another wrote “It was fantastic. You all did very well. I always look forward to the Blossom Festival every year.”

With, or without cherry blossoms, it’s been a truly successful festival as the village has welcomed spring and the summer ahead.

Chadwick Road on Saturday. Photo: Supplied.