The opening day began with event organisers handing out bunches of rhododendrons at noon in the Octagon.
"It was really good and we handed most of them out. It was good to let everyone know that it was taking place," festival co-ordinator Victoria Bunton said.
Over the course of four days, there will be 30 events offering a wide variety activities, she said.
"There's lots for families to do. There's so much on."
Programmes are available from the Visitor Information Centre in the Octagon.
The main event of the festival, the Nichol's symposium on sustainability and climate change, will be held tomorrow at 9.30am at the Dunedin Public Art Gallery.
How these issues affect Dunedin and its environment will be covered in the symposium by one of four guest speakers, Dunedin Botanic Garden curator Alan Matchett.
"I will be looking at it from the botanic garden point of view - how we use resources in the gardens," he said.
With the rhododendrons thriving thanks to a wet winter and a "fairly dry spring", the festival was shaping up to be a colourful event, Mr Matchett said.
Rhododendrons grow well in the Dunedin climate and the botanic garden has a rhododendron dell which covers 6ha with 3500 rhododendrons, 178 species and more than 200 named hybrids.
"We have got an even rainfall pattern and not much variation temperature wise," he said.
- Tim Cossens
