Tauranga and the wider Western Bay of Plenty are commemorating at the Tauranga Moana Waitangi Day Festival - being held in the Historic Village at 17th Avenue.

The event is being marked as one full of "reverence, ceremony and fun".

Celebrated annually on February 6, Waitangi day is the national day of New Zealand, marking the anniversary of the initial signing of the Treaty of Waitangi on the same date in 1840.

The event is running from 10am to 4pm today.

Earlier this week, the Tauranga Moana Waitangi Day Dawn Service at Hopukiore (Mount Drury Reserve) was cancelled due to the poor weather expected over the weekend.

AArt and craft workshops are available at the event. Photo: David Hall.

Entertainment, food and performances are abound, along with plenty of Māori art and craft workshops, koru sand art, and the newly-introduiced Treaty Storyboard Trail - the perfect way for family and whānau to learn and celebrate the history of Aotearoa.

Showcasing the importance of ethnicity, community, and connectedness, the event began with a welcome from celebrated actress and community leader Mabel Wharekawa-Burt, who will share the MC duties for the day.

The New Zealand Navy raised the flag and Kathy Phillips lead the national anthem. Photo: David Hall.

For the first time, free buses are available to transport attendees to and from the festival.

He Iwi Kotahi trustee and professional historian Buddy Mikaere, who has a passion for bringing people together, says the festival is designed for everyone.

'It's a time for us to commemorate the signing of the Treaty and to acknowledge and embrace Tauranga's growing multicultural, multi-ethnic makeup. It is why we named our organising Trust ‘He Iwi Kotahi – Together As One' because in a real sense; in a community sense, we sincerely want to promote unity across all our cultures and ethnicities.

'What we are saying is that everyone's views and beliefs deserve respect, and our festival provides that opportunity. We want to create a sense of belonging and wellbeing for all,” says Buddy.

Check out some more pictures of the event below.

To see what else is happening around the country, visit this link.