If roses tickle romance buttons, then Parnell in Auckland is the perfect place for couples this weekend.
The Parnell Festival of Roses starts today at Dove-Myer Robinson Park in Gladstone Rd.
The two-day festival each year celebrates the bloom of more than 4500 rose bushes with music, dance, theatre, craft stalls and competitions.
The main Parnell shopping strip also becomes involved in the festival, the first major summer happening on the Auckland City Council's event calendar.
"It's so beautiful, there's lots of performance and it's all free," said organiser Barbara Strong-MacKinnon.
"People bring picnics along and just take time to relax, stop and smell the roses."
Rose displays, art exhibitions and mini-Auckland Theatre Company productions will go ahead over the two-day festival, along with an amateur and professional rose growing competition at the Holy Trinity Cathedral.
Performances scattered throughout the park and Parnell will include chamber and string quartet music, traditional gypsy dance, ballet and a wide range of children's entertainment.
A free bus service between the park, Parnell Rd and the cathedral will operate over the weekend.
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