When you've only got four days to stage a festival, you really have to pack things in.
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There's so much going on at Moomba that it's easier to say "what there isn't", says Ashton Circus's Jan Ashton-Rodriguez.
"The rides – there's a double-storey merry-go-round, the only one in Australia. There's the waterskiing. Then you've got the fireworks at night of course. It's just a whole package of entertainment all day."
"We're already walking past the food stalls and thinking what are we going to have for lunch today – Himalayan, churros?"
"It's Moomba! It's just the excitement, it's the atmosphere of Melbourne at this time of year and the people. Why would not you want to be here?"
Saturday morning opens at 10am at the Riverslide Skate Park for a quick scooter clinic, followed by a range of activities targeted at kids – facepainting, puppet-making, arts and crafts.
The carnival itself kicks off at 11am, while live entertainment at the main stage in the heart of the festival starts at 12.30pm with The Fabric, Buddha in a Chocolate Box at 1.45pm and later on headliners Public Opinion Afro Orchestra from 6.45pm and Australian rockers Jebediah at 8.30pm.
In the river, look out for the men's and women's night jump finals at 9pm that will be backgrounded by the fireworks.
Mrs Ashton-Rodriguez is going to be packing plenty in herself, with a tightwire act, a cloud swing and something called Russian silks all part of the show at her family's Ashton Circus, open all day.
"We're trying to fit seven acts into a half hour – it's pretty rushed."
