Hawke's Bay has received a much-needed boost to morale and business with the return of the Winter Art Deco Festival.
Cyclone Gabrielle wiped out summer events but festivities were once again back on the streets of Napier.
The main event featured a street soapbox race.
Covid restrictions and Cyclone Gabrielle put a hold on the race for years but today the crafted wagons took to the Napier streets.
Support crew Clint Taylor said he was desperate to race.
"We built our car about three years ago and wanted to do the race ever since and it's been cancelled due to Covid and recently the cyclone, so we've pulled them all out again, refreshed the wheel bearings, dusted them off, it's great," Taylor said.
The summer sparkles were traded out for tweed and fur coats. The vintage cars and deco dancers were in full swing too.
Art Deco Trust's Jeremy Smith said it was emotional watching the festival go ahead.
"The cyclone had a really devastating effect on the region as well as other regions in the country, and the cancellations of the events following was really disheartening," Smith said.
"To be able to put this event on [to] bring people together and celebrate the resilience of Hawke's Bay, sort of emulating and echoing what happened post the earthquake, post the cyclone, similar things have happened again."
Napier Central store owner Julia Zhang said her shop was booming.
"We have been desperate for this event, we've had double the customers compared to a normal weekend," she said.
The weekend was also a chance for the community to celebrate its emergency workers for their efforts during the cyclone.
Organisers hope the festival can provide more support for those still struggling.
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