KELLY HODEL/STUFF

Big shoppers fill the buggy with power tools. From left, Peter Westend with 2-year-old grandson Parker Hill, Rachel and Chris Hill.

Pity poor Parker Hill, who's been turfed out of his usual ride to make way for dad's shopping spree.

The two year old instead hitched a ride in Grandad Peter Westend's arms

"He's been evicted," Westend said. 

TOM LEE/STUFF

Despite the soggy start, 24,663 people walked through the gates of the 50th New Zealand National Fieldays.

Parker's dad and Cambridge builder Chris Hill were among the thousands of punters trawling the sodden paths of Mystery Creek on Wednesday. 

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But he did so with the baby-less pram weighed down with newly purchased tools. 

Chris has been attending the event for the last 14 years - it's his main shopping source. 

Every year he stocks up on equipment and power tools - enough to last him until the event rolls around again. A $2000 spend is usually his minimum. 

With promotions, a bunch of free stuff and everything all in one spot, it's the place to buy up, Chris said.

He was one of 24,663 visitors through the gates on the first day of the inaugural event. 

It's less than the 26,140 people who turned up to the opening day last year. But it's also a far cry from 50 years ago, when 10,000 visitors flocked to 80 different exhibitors. 

On Wednesday, more than 1000 exhibitors covered 1400 sites.

And this year's turnout is expected to eclipse last year's record of 133,588 visitors across the four-day event.

The southern hemisphere's largest agricultural fixture generated $538m in sales last year, including $191m in revenue for the Waikato region. At the opening ceremony on Wednesday, New Zealand National Fieldays Society CEO Peter Nation introduced "the future of farming" as the theme of this year's event.  

The bad weather didn't seem to have dampened the turnout much, Westend, who has attended about 20 years of Fieldays, said.

It seemed like one of the busier years, he said. 

Farmers aren't usually bothered by a bit of drizzle, Chris said. 

"It's better to walk around in the rain here than it is to work in the rain." 

And on opening day Parker got lucky - he won $100 by spinning a wheel.

 - Stuff