Lifting weather and early punters is seeing Papamoa's Waitangi Day Community Fair turning out to be a stunner – and the sky-high action is not on for another hour yet.

The community event, doubling as a fundraiser for Papamoa Surf Lifesaving Club, is winding up with organiser Buddy Mikaere saying 'everybody is turning up really early”.

Papamoa Surf Club members Saffron O'Donnell 11, Jemima Pol, 10, Erin McCarthy, 9, helping with raffles today at the Waitangi Day Community Fair.

'It goes really great, we've had people arriving since 6.30am.”

Five local bands are providing live entertainment, along with popular Zumba outfit Rhythmz Dance Company –plus, there's a wide range of stalls, drinks and food available.

Children's activities include a sand sculpture contest, treasure hunt and boogie board race and there will also be a prize for the person judged to be wearing the 'loudest” shirt.

During the afternoon, from about 2pm, there will be aerobatic displays from two North American Harvard aircraft from the NZ Warbirds Association base at Ardmore and a Yak 3 Russian World War 2 fighter from Omaka in Blenheim. The air displays will start at 2pm with aircrafts in the air for 10 minutes each time.

'Everything is in place, and the weather is doing its bit by lifting, so there's been rain here like they promised us, so that's awesome,” says Buddy, who reckons the bands and planes will see the festivity really take off.

'People are bringing picnics and there is lots to do down the beach, like a sandcastle-building competition and treasure hunts and a boogie board race – just about anything you can think of.”

This is the second event of this site since Buddy has been organising it for the Tauranga Maori business Association. 'it's a good way to do some local fundraising for Papamoa Surf Club.”

Papamoa Surf Club deputy club captain Wayne Larsen says his has 50 to 60 lifeguards with mothers and fathers and supporters helping to fundraise for the club.

'We're here because we are being sponsored by the funds or koha that go to us – and just because it is an awesome community event.'

'We got the old-fashioned sausage sizzle with onions and sauce of you want it, we got raffles and a whole lot of other goods for sale and prizes for the kids as well.”

Wayne says the funds will be used to for junior surf club member equipment. '[it's for] boogie boards and knee boards, as we always needing those and they cost a fortune.”

Gate entry to the fair is a gold coin donation or koha.