James Hay is a happy man.

The Wānaka Beerfest, which he has organised for the past five years was a resounding success on Saturday, with 2,000 punters through the gates of the Three Parks Venue, 400 more than last year and the biggest one yet!

Tickets sold out the Wednesday beforehand, he said. "A lot of people missed out on tickets."

Fifteen breweries were involved, plus seven other vendors selling wine and other drinks, like kombucha. The vendors were from all around the country, Hay said, and as far afield as Wellington, Northland, Christchurch and Dunedin.

Hay said this was the fifth such event he had run, all based in Wānaka.

And plans for next year? "We are just trying to get Christmas under control," he said. "But we are looking forward to the next one."

"This is a New Zealand event," he said. "We don't usually get many tourists; maybe 50.

"I think there just haven't been many events this year and people wanted to get out and about.

"I think people were just pretty excited to go to something."

Read edition 1004 of the Wānaka Sun here.