Springtime in Canberra is synonymous with Floriade, an annual bloom of colour luring people from across the country to the capital.
However, the tulip festival may be in for a drenching as predicted thunderstorms threaten to thin crowds currently on track for record attendance.
Canberra sisters Janet Anderson and Joy Urquhart have become stalwart figures among the legion of people behind the event, having volunteered for five years.
Ms Urquhart was inspired to donate her time after speaking to a volunteer who was manning the gate at a previous event.
"He was saying what a wonderful thing it was to volunteer at Floriade and I said: 'as soon as I retire, I'm going to do that'. And it's something I don't regret doing," she recalled.
"It's nice to do something with your family and volunteering at Floriade, it's always nice and friendly and people are always cheery."
For Ms Anderson, volunteering has brought her closer with her sister. The pair both enjoy interacting with the crowds and being surrounded by beautiful blooms.
"I love seeing people's reactions when they walk through the gate. Some of them just don't know what to expect and it makes you feel good," she said.
After a two-year hiatus the tulip festival has returned to Commonwealth Park and so far is on track for the highest attendance ever.
Floriade organiser Ross Triffitt said Sunday had the biggest turnout since opening on September 17 and the 2022 event was on track to beat record figures in 2019.
"There's pent-up demand for Floriade as an experience and for events in general we saw very strong attendance. But this time around in spring, we've had the World Health Organisation come out and make statements that we are towards the end of the pandemic," Mr Triffitt said.
"This year we've seen better attendance midweek. Even prior to the school holidays, in our first week, our attendance was a little bit higher. That's quite encouraging for us, if we were to get rained on a weekend, it could have a significant impact on overall attendance.
"Over the long weekend we've had fantastic attendance during the day, but we've also sold out in the evenings for night fest. It's very encouraging for the economic recovery of the city, and particularly for hospitality and tourism."
Floriade is celebrating its 35th anniversary and will run until October 16.
With the Bureau of Meteorology predicting rainfall and possible thunderstorms from Wednesday and over the coming weekend, Floriade organisers are expecting a drop in attendance.
However, Mr Triffitt encouraged people to grab an umbrella and head over - the flowers certainly enjoy a drop of rain.
"We have a range of measures in place and all of the performance areas are under cover. Only if we experience dangerous thunderstorms, hail or any type of weather event where public safety is a consideration would we be cancelling," he said.
For more details visit floriadeaustralia.com.
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