Reassurance that Auckland was not moving up COVID-19 alert levels came too late for some event organisers, who decided to cancel this weekend while others are full steam ahead.
In previous years the 'Street Kai on Takutai' event turned Britomart's social hub alive with food and music.
The 2020 version includes a few 'lone lunchtimers' while the food trucks are parked up at home, not able to go into the CBD this morning for the very first food truck awards.
While disappointed, Maggie Gray from the Food truck collective remains hopeful for future plans.
"It's so disappointing, there's a lot of time and effort that goes into events prior to hosting but we will postpone until the right time and make sure we come back bigger and better."
The event was not the only casualty of the overnight uncertainty.
The Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra made a last-minute decision to cancel public entry, instead, it was live-streamed as they played to an empty town hall.
The University of Auckland also made moves to go virtual with exams and they'll stay online regardless of the decision to remain at level one, despite some students' concerns about unfair advantage.
Emma Rogers from the Auckland University Students Association says responses are mostly positive: "For the most part, a lot of people are relieved. There's quite an anxiety about coming on to the campus and those physical aspects of being in the CBD when it's so highly populated. I know a lot of students will feel frustrated as well just because they would have sat their exams already."
There was frustration too for the organisers of a Korean cultural festival on Auckland's North shore, as they had to make an early decision to cancel this weekend's event altogether.
But two of the country's biggest annual events will still go ahead, one being the Aotearoa Music Awards which has already started the mammoth task of setting up for Sunday evening.
Organisers say if there is any change in alert levels, they have contingency plans in place so it can still go ahead in some form regardless.
The other - Big Boys Toys which opened the gates to crowds this morning.
Shaun Varney from Big Boys Toys is assuring people it's safe to visit and enjoy the event.
"Our cleaning crew are super diligent; they're working overtime to make sure everything is super clean, sanitised, and safe."
With a record number of pre-sales on tickets and a crowd of 30 thousand expected, that's a lot of hands to keep safe and sanitised.
