Don’t miss these great events for families in May!
Family Festivals in Pennsylvania
Your family can welcome summer with sweet treats, carnival games, pet parades and more at these community celebrations.
Philadelphia Fairs
Two Phila. neighborhoods host free festivals on Sat., May 1: Rittenhouse Row (taking place at Walnut St. from Broad to 19th Sts.) and Mt. Airy (at 6400 Germantown Ave.) Then, on Sun., May 2, Chestnut Hill’s free Home & Garden Festival features vendors for adults & entertainment for kids. The 96th annual Flower Market returns to Rittenhouse Square Wed.-Thurs., May 5-6 with a plant sale, storytimes for kids & character visits.
During the weekend of May 15-16, families can sample international fare at the annual 9th St. Italian Market Festival. Also on May 16, a day for families at Seger Park Playground (Lombard St. between 10th & 11th Sts.) features games, music, a petting zoo & free tennis lessons.
Celebrations in the Suburbs
The Strawberry Festival, Sat.-Sun., May 1-2, at Peddler’s Village in Lahaska celebrates the sweet fruit with treats, pie-eating contests & other family fun. In Pottstown, a Colonial May Fair on May 1 highlights kid-friendly historical activities, while an EnviroFest on Sat., May 8 focuses on ways your family can go green. Also on May 8: St. Christopher Church in Gladwyne’s annual Azalea Day Fair featuring carnival amusements & a market and Roo Fest at Abington Friends School.
North Wales’ Community Day on Sat., May 15 includes live music, activities for kids, a car show & a dog show. Dogs are also in the spotlight during Tabor Days in Doylestown, Sat.-Sun., May 22-23, where furry friends can participate in shows, a parade & an agility course. On Memorial Day weekend (Sat.-Sun., May 29-30), take a trip to Lancaster for the free Great Pennsylvania FlavorFest. This kid-friendly cooking and wine event includes opportunities for children to decorate T-shirts, learn about healthy eating options & make their own chef hats.
Mommy & Me in South Jersey
At these educational events, you can spend quality time with your child and explore nature & other topics together.
Hands-on nature programs for preschoolers include Cove Caterpillars at Palmyra Cove Nature Park in Palmyra, Mon.-Tues., May 3, 10am & May 4, 1pm ($5); a Nature Tots event at Scotland Run Park in Clarksboro, Wed., May 12 (free); a Knee-High Naturalist program at Woodford Cedar Run in Medford, Thurs., May 13 ($7); and at the Buttinger Nature Center at the Stony Brook-Millstone Watershed in Pennington, weekly programs on Tues. mornings & Wed. afternoons ($15). Also at Stony Brook this month: a Tiny Tot Nature Walk on Mon., May 17 and Yoga for Kids on Tues., May 18.
This month’s free Just Mom & Me play & discovery event at Moorestown Mall on Thurs., May 13 focuses on barnyard animals. Help your child make a cow, pig or rooster craft, make animal sounds and do the “Chicken Dance.”
Mother’s Day Events in Delaware
Happy Mother’s Day! Here are different ways Delaware moms can celebrate with the kids.
Bond with your daughter by reading a historical book together, then discuss it at Winterthur Museum during the Pages of Time book club on Thurs., May 6. You’ll also make a craft related to the book & enjoy snacks. $35 per mom-child pair covers 7-month book club membership.
Take time for tea on Mother’s Day weekend. At Rockwood in Wilmington, a tea party for kids & moms on Sat., May 8 includes a kid-friendly tour of the mansion. Bellevue State Park also hosts an afternoon tea with a tour of the Cauffiel House on Sat., May 8 ($8-$15).
On Sun., May 9, all moms ride half-fare on the Mt. Cuba Express along the Wilmington & Western Railroad. The train ride takes families through the Red Clay Valley & stops at Mt. Cuba Picnic Grove, where you can have a picnic & enjoy the scenery. $5.50-$11.
Stephanie Halinski is calendar editor of MetroKids.
