Even after 65 years with the Wollongong Eisteddfod, life member Sheelagh Geraghty still gets a kick out of seeing young performers take the stage.
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"I love watching the dancing especially. It's so good to see kids everywhere," said Ms Geraghty, 95.
"They fill the whole hall. It's a lot of fun."
The Wollongong Eisteddfod has celebrated a double milestone, its 120th year and Ms Geraghty's 65 years of service to the organisation.
Debuting in 1894, and disrupted only by the World Wars, the eisteddfod has long been one of the performing crown jewels of Wollongong, and it shows no signs of slowing down.
"Wollongong is seen to be one of the eisteddfods you have to be at," president Tony Purdon said.
The eisteddfod is due to kick at the end of May.
"It's an integral part of the performing arts community, not just in Wollongong but across the country," Mr Purdon said.
"We get entries from Hobart, Brisbane, Melbourne, all over the place."
Up to 2500 performers are set to fill the eisteddfod, the culmination of months of hard work by the eisteddfod committee - but as for Ms Geraghty, she has another reason to smile.
"To be honest, being alive is pretty good right now," she said.
