Best Family Festivals and Street Fairs in NYC This May

There are street fairs—and then there are street fairs. We don't mean those random ones selling irregular socks and fried Oreos; we're talking about true community festivals. Each one is unique, reflecting the character of its neighborhood, and many feature rides, performances, activities, and food. The hard part, of course, is deciding which community fairs to hit with the family in a calendar packed with options, but don't worry: We've taken the guesswork out of managing your family's busy festival schedule for you.
We've gone through the city's list of top annual festivals, street fairs, and carnivals and put together our roundup of top picks for May—more than two dozen. Most of these fetes are FREE or cost just a couple of bucks, and in many cases your dollars go to support a local charity or school. Here are some awesome fests happening in NYC this May.
You can find even more seasonal activities in our Spring Fun Guide.
Wednesday, May 1-Saturday, May 4
Sunday, May 5-Saturday, May 11
Sunday, May 12-Saturday, May 18
Sunday, May 19-Saturday, May 25
Sunday, May 26-Friday, May 31
Places featured in this article:
Highbridge Park
The Calhoun School
Columbia Greenhouse Nursery School
Lincoln Center Damrosch Park
New York Botanical Gardens
Online
Dock Street School
Staten Island Children's Museum @ Snug Harbor
Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 5
Various locations
Brookfield Place
Tompkins Square Park
Essex Street Market
Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian
Prospect Park Zoo
Prospect Park
5th Avenue
Sunnyside Gardens Park
Citywide