Heritage buffs were treated to a variety of events in Riverton over the weekend, with three different venues showcasing a collection of heritage history in the town across two beautiful autumn days.

The Riverton Heritage Harvest Festival was held across two days at Aparima College and featured a wide variety of local produce and entertainment.

Highlights of the event included a variety 40 different workshops and talks, as well as competitions for children that ranged from making a scarecrow through to creating their own unique animals made from vegetables.

It was the 11th running of the festival and event co-organiser Hollie Guyton said it was well attended by people from right across the country.

"It's been amazing. Heaps of people, heaps of stall holders and heaps of kids coming in… I think it's a celebration of all the things that Southlanders are good at like growing food in their home garden. Everyone is proud of the things they grow."

Elsewhere in the town, the Templeton Flax Mill Heritage Museum held its annual open day on Sunday.

A large contingent of impressed onlookers was witness to a series of live demonstrations of how the mill works, as well as flax weaving and rope making at the only authentic operating flax mill in New Zealand.

Templeton Flax Mill Heritage Museum trustee Stephen Logie said the good weather contributed to a large turnout of over 350 people on the day.

"We have seats for about 60 people inside. We started at about 12.40pm and have been non-stop. We always celebrate during heritage month which is in March. So we decided it was an ideal opportunity for the museum to do something around this month."

Former flax miller Adrian Batt travelled all the way from Foxton in the North Island for the open day and said it was always on his bucket list to attend the museum.

He said the whole experience brought back instant memories from his time working at the Foxton mill.

"I can smell the things before I got here and hear the machines before I got here. And that was in the sixties the last time I was at a mill."

Heritage buffs were also treated to further entertainment with the Thornbury Rural Heritage Centre also holding an open day on the weekend.

Miss Guyton said the whole town got behind the weekend and each event helped each other to ensure they all worked in unison.