Tulip Time in Bowral runs from September 19 to October 2

At the festival's opening on Tuesday, September 19 Wingecarribee Council administrator Viv May, Tulip Time ambassador Noela Bailey, and CWA Bowral vice president Diane Innes, each agreed the festival was as big and bright as it's ever been.

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Southern Highland News asked Ms Bailey what made the tulip flower so special? She said it was "exotic" to many Australians.

"They're very short lived," she said.

"You don't see them for the rest of the year. And you can just have colours galore. It's a spectacular display when it's put on."

Ms Bailey's ambassador role includes duties such as crowd control and helping out at the gate.

"My role is to make people feel at ease and comfortable," she said.

"And to take the odd photograph or three."

She said it was an "interesting" few days because it brings people from all over NSW.

"They may have never come here," Ms Bailey said.

"I just enjoy meeting so many different and varied people. If you have a chance to talk it can be very interesting."

For Ms Bailey the draw of Tulip Time in Bowral lies in the festival's small town charm.

"Compared with some of the larger festivals I feel it's a far more intimate event," she said.

"It's also so accessible from places like Sydney and Canberra."

She described it as "like a renewal" for people coming out to enjoy the spring weather.

CWA Bowral vice president Diane Innes agreed.

"The festival is coming out of winter, and people are so pleased to see something lovely growing," she said.

Her group uses the event as its main fundraiser for the year.

"All the money we raise, except for some we use to upkeep our building, we give away to local charities," Ms Innes said.

"Our main charity is Triple Care Farm, which looks after teenagers who have been on drugs or other substances ... we donate every year."

The CWA Bowral ladies will be selling crafts, jams and Devonshire teas, supported by students from Bowral High School.

Wingecarribee Council administrator Viv May says the festival has been running for 63 years.

"It's a unique festival that's full of colour," he said.

"People flock in from Sydney to look at it and it helps our local economy in a big way."

He said there were 80,000 tulips planted in the Corbett Gardens and 90,000 across the shire.

ALSO READ: The Corbett Gardens and 15 other spots to see tulips in the Southern Highlands

"We've tried to extend it into the villages and on October 11 we will be giving away bulbs to residents," Mr May said.

"Hopefully that will add more colour over the years to the shire."

Mr May payed tribute to the council staff who work behind the scenes to get the festival up and running each year.

"A team of people planting 80,000 bulbs in 10 days deserve great credit," he said.

"A team of eight planted the whole lot ... and you just don't push the bulbs in, it's quite complex. They do it year in and year out and I think it's an absolute credit to them."

The head gardener told Mr May he had been having "sleepless nights" worrying about the unseasonably warm weather.

"Early bloom yes, but he said there will be late blooms as well," Mr May said.

"Everyone will be happy whether you come today, or the October long weekend."

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