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May means LA County Fair season. Photo courtesy of the LA County Fair, Facebook
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4/30/23 - By Toby B

There is no shortage of things to do in Los Angeles in May. From Mother's Day to Memorial Day, we've got the best events happening all month—and May the 4th be with you!

You've won the blue ribbon, your ship has come in, and mamas, it's your day: May we introduce you to the jam-packed listing of our favorite things to do in Los Angeles this May! Fresh out the gate, we celebrate the annual return of the LA County Fair, complete with prize-winning critters, A-list concert headliners, and mouth-watering fair food. LA Fleet Week makes a splash as the Port of Los Angeles hosts active military ships.

More Things To Do in Los Angeles This May With Kids:

 

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Play the fiddle and step over to the dance barn. Photo courtesy of the Topanga Banjo Fiddle Contest and Folk Festival
Play the fiddle and step over to the dance barn. Photo courtesy of the Topanga Banjo Fiddle Contest and Folk Festival

Top Things To Do in Los Angeles with Kids this May

SOAR: Tropical Butterflies at South Coast Botanic Garden

Palos Verdes - Opens Wednesday, May 1, 2024
South Coast Botanic Garden is soaring to great heights with the return of the butterfly experience, which features tropical butterflies in the garden's specially-built pavilion. Returning for 2024: the butterfly feeding experience. READ MORE

LA County Fair

Pomona - Starts Friday, May 3, 2024
The Los Angeles County Fair returns for the 2024 season, once again held  in the cooler month of May. This year's theme is “Stars, Stripes & Fun." READ MORE

Kibō Nobori 2024 - Children's Day Festival

Little Tokyo - Saturday, May 4, 2024
Free
Little Tokyo's third annual Kibō Nobori Children’s Day Festival is a free family-friendly event celebrating the Japanese holiday Kodomo No Hi. "Kodomo No Hi" means "Children's Day" in Japan and is a day to celebrate and wish for health and good fortune for all children. READ MORE

Historical Venice Cinco de Mayo Parade/Festival 2024

Venice - Saturday, May 4, 2024
Free
Venice's Historic Cinco de Mayo Parade and Festival celebrates Mexican American Heritage and the city’s cultural diversity. The event is free and family-friendly. READ MORE

Rancho Days Fiesta

Lake Forest - Saturday, May 4, 2024
Free
The rich history of Orange County’s rancho era is explored through hands-on activities, crafts, music, and dance. READ MORE

YALLWEST

Santa Monica - Friday & Saturday May 3 - 4, 2024
Free
Y'all come west now, to hear a bunch of great YA authors and more. YALLWEST celebrates books, film, TV, and art related to young adult literature. READ MORE

Free Comic Book Day 2024

Multiple Locations - Saturday, May 4, 2024
Free
Pow! Crash! Boom!  Getting comic books for free is...super! Free Comic Book Day returns on its usual "first Saturday in May" date. READ MORE

CicloIrvine

Irvine - Saturday, May 4, 2024
Irvine steps up with its own Open Streets event! CicloIrvine celebrates community, connection, and clean air through the City of Irvine, with nearly two miles of City streets closed to cars and open for people to stroll, bike, and roll. READ MORE

Great Big Family Play Day 2024

Griffith Park - Saturday & Sunday, May 4 - 5, 2024
Great Big Family Play Day returns bringing more great big family fun! Kids of all ages can enjoy two stages filled with live entertainment, character meet + greets, a Dino Exhibit covering 20,000 square feet of space, plus arts & crafts, create & build, sports & games, a bike course, local programs & camps, food, fun, swag and more  READ MORE

Cinco de Mayo (Bowers)

Santa Ana - Sunday, May 5, 2024
Free
The Bowers Museum's free family festival for May celebrates Cinco de Mayo.  The full day of fun includes complimentary face painting, art projects including mini piñatas and clay animalitos, live performances, and more. READ MORE

Museums of the Arroyo Day

Arroyo Seco - Sunday, May 5, 2024
Free
The annual Museums of the Arroyo Day treats LA families to free admission at five local museums. READ MORE

Pan Am Fiesta

Lakewood - Thursday - Sunday, May 9 - 12, 2024
The Pan American Fiesta returns to Mayfair Park in Lakewood on Mother's Day weekend. Festivities include a family-friendly mix of amusement rides, live music, crafts for sale, and food trucks. READ MORE

Happy Birthday, Monterey Park Play Days

Monterey Park - Thursday - Sunday, May 9 - 12, 2024
Monterey Park celebrates its 108th birthday with four days of fun in Barnes Park. READ MORE

Los Angeles International Children's Film Festival

Westwood - Saturday, May 11, 2024
Free
The 18th Los Angeles International Children's Film Festival presents short films from around the world for toddlers through teens - animation, live action, documentary, plus filmmaker and animator appearances. READ MORE

Fire & Police Service Day (Burbank)

Burbank - Saturday, May 11, 2024
Free
The Burbank Fire Department celebrates Fire Service Day with live demonstrations from Police and Fire, music, activities for kids, and fun for all. READ MORE

MOMentum Place

Topanga - Sunday, May 12, 2024
This Mother's Day, the annual MOMentum Place creates a fantastical world of aerial and circus performers, dancers and musicians in Theatricum Botanicum's rustic outdoor amphitheater. This year it celebrates its 25th anniversary! READ MORE

Locals’ Night at Santa Monica Pier

Santa Monica - Thursday, May 16, 2024
Free
Santa Monica Pier is known as a tourist destination that attract guests from around the country and the world. But it's also a great place for locals to hang out! READ MORE

Monrovia Days

Monrovia - Friday - Sunday, May 16 - 19, 2024
The community of Monrovia celebrates its 138th birthday with a weekend of events. Highlights include games, carnival rides, food, live music, a meringue pie eating contest, and the annual Monrovia Days parade. READ MORE

Crawfish Festival

Fountain Valley - Friday - Sunday, May 17 - 19, 2024
Crawfish Festival is the largest Crawfish Festival outside Louisiana, attracting thousands of festival-goers each year. Families can enjoy Cajun, Zydeco, and New Orleans music plus tons of fresh crawfish, prepared Louisiana style, along with a wide selection of New Orleans’s most iconic dishes. READ MORE

Comic Con Revolution

Ontario - Saturday & Sunday, May 18-19, 2024
Ontario's Comic Con Revolution celebrates comics and the creative arts. Programming includes guest appearances and cast reunions, legendary comic book creators, iconic voice actors, world class photo ops, and tons of cosplay. READ MORE

Bug Fair 2024

Exposition Park - Saturday & Sunday, May 18-19, 2024
There are bugs everywhere! No need to call the exterminator; it's Bug Fair 2024, the Natural History Museum's celebration of things winged and creepy-crawly. Bug Fair is the biggest bug festival in North America, and this year is celebrating its 38th year. READ MORE

California Strawberry Festival

Ventura - Saturday & Sunday, May 18 - 19, 2024
The 2024 California Strawberry Festival returns on Saturday, May 18 & Sunday, May 19, once again at  the Ventura County Fairgrounds.  READ MORE

Topanga Banjo Fiddle Contest and Folk Festival

Agoura Hills - Sunday, May 19, 2024
Paramount Ranch plays host to an old-time bluegrass, folk song, folk dancing, and crafts festival. READ MORE

CicLAmini - Wilmington

Wilmington - Sunday, May 19, 2024
CicLAmini is a more pedestrian and neighborhood-oriented experience of a traditional CicLAvia open streets event. The latest CicLAmini ventures in to Wilmington, creating 2.25 mile stretch of car-free Avalon, M Street, and C Street. READ MORE

LA Fleet Week

San Pedro - Wednesday- Monday, May 22- 27, 2024
Free
Your ship's come in—a whole bunch of 'em actually. Fleet Week returns to the Port of Los Angeles with pier-side ship tours, exhilarating aerial demonstrations and flyovers, live entertainment, live competitions, and neighborhood activations.  READ MORE

Summer Games in the City!

Irvine - Opens Friday, May 24, 2024
Let the Games begin! The training ground at Pretend City is ready for the smallest athletes to test their athletic skills over the next three months. Kids can dive into adventurous play, competition, and hands-on learning experiences that celebrate the vibrant spirit of the Olympics. READ MORE

Garden Grove Strawberry Festival 2024

Garden Grove - Friday - Monday, May 24- 27, 2024
Garden Grove marks Memorial Day weekend for the 64th year with its Strawberry Festival, the second largest city festival in the West. This year, the festival's theme is "Celebrating Our Hometown."  READ MORE

La Cañada's Fiesta Days

La Cañada Flintridge - Friday - Monday, May 25- 27, 2024
La Cañada's weekend-long Memorial Day festivities celebrate their 50 year anniversary.  Activities throughout the weekend include a French toast breakfast, vintage car show, a summer picnic and "ukulele rendezvous", a family dinner with music, and fireworks. Saturday evening the fireworks start at 8:45pm at Memorial Park (free admission). READ MORE

Koroneburg Renaissance Festival

Corona - Saturday May 25 through Sunday June 23, 2024
The Koroneburg Renaissance Festival returns for another season. With lots of audience-participation content, the Faire offers opportunities to learn about ye ol' German 1450-1600 A.D. history. READ MORE

Fiesta Hermosa

Hermosa Beach - Saturday - Monday, May 25 - 27, 2024
Free
Hermosa Beach's annual blowout combines hundreds of artisans and craftspeople with opportunities to swim, bike, fish, or just relax on the beach. READ MORE

Scottish Fair and Highland Games

Costa Mesa - Saturday & Sunday, May 25-26, 2024
Scotsfest returns for Memorial Day weekend in 2024! Scotsfest is a Scottish festival of Celtic entertainment, food, and Highland games. The two-day event showcases the best of the Scottish and Celtic heritage with sounds of bagpipes and drums, the smells of authentic Scottish foods, and the sights of the traditional tartan kilts. READ MORE

Memorial Day Ceremonies -Forest Lawn

Hollywood Hills and other locations - Monday, May 27, 2024
Free
Forest Lawn welcomes community members to celebrate Memorial Day at six of its LA locations. The annual ceremony to honor fallen soldiers features patriotic music, wreath layings, presentations and retirings of the flag, keynote addresses, presidential proclamations, invocations, giveaways, arts & crafts, coffee, sweet treats, and more. READ MORE

2024 Summer Concerts in the Park (Thousand Oaks)

Thousand Oaks - Starts Monday, May 27, 2024
Free
It may get a little chilly in the evenings, but the music at Conejo Community Park is hot!  READ MORE

Places featured in this article:

Oakwood Recreation and Park
Heritage Hill Historical Park
Santa Monica High School
Irvine, including UCI Health Hub
Multiple Museums, including The Gamble House
Library Park Memorial Fountain
Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
Ventura County Fairgrounds
Wilmington, including Wilmington Waterfront Park
LA Fleet Week EXPO (adjacent to Battleship IOWA)
Pretend City Children's Museum
Crossroads Riverview Park
Orange County Fair & Event Center
Multiple Forest Lawn locations, including Hollywood Hills