Top 10 May family events in Brooklyn

Go-to Brooklyn parent resources Macaroni KID Brooklyn NW and Brooklyn Bridge Parents have teamed up to bring you some of the best family events for Brooklyn families in May including a kite festival, free carousel rides in Brooklyn Bridge Park, the reopening of Brooklyn’s beaches and more special events as the weather warms. Happy May!

1. Celebrate Jane's Carousel Day

Saturday, May 4 11am-5:50pm | FREE | DUMBO

Celebrate Jane’s Carousel Day with free rides and face painting!

2. Spring Fest with Mother's Day Fun at Atlantic Terminal Plaza

Saturday, May 11 | 11am-1pm | FREE | For ages 2-10 | Downtown Brooklyn

Brooklyn Bridge Parents and Atlantic Terminal Mall have partnered up to host a Spring Fest on Atlantic Terminal Mall Plaza and car-free Fort Greene Place. There will be free kids activities, Mother's Day crafts, and treats for moms! Moms and dads are invited to join with their kids - best for ages 2 to 10 - celebrating spring and mothers, the backbone of society. In case of rain, they will move the event indoors!

3. Brooklyn Conservatory of Music Open Stages 2024

Saturday, May 11 | 3-7pm | FREE, donations appreciated | Park Slope

Join BKCM for Open Stages 2024, Brooklyn Conservatory of Music (BKCM)’s spring music festival! On May 11, stoops, schoolyards, parks and local cafes throughout Park Slope will host 150+ inspiring artists sure to amaze families. Past acts have included Grammy Award-winners, talented teen rockers, high-octane marching bands, hip-hop artists, and music-makers of all kinds. Don’t miss out on this unforgettable day of music, art, and community.

4. Sound & Color! Spring and Kite Festival in Brooklyn Bridge Park

Saturday, May 18 | 11am-5pm | FREE | Brooklyn Heights

Expanding the Conservancy’s beloved Kite Festival, this year they’re adding music! The day-long festival heralds the arrival of Spring with live musical performances, food vendors, kids and partner activities! Watch your kite soar above the Manhattan skyline the one day of the year kite-flying is open to the public at Brooklyn Bridge Park Pier 5. Join for kite-making workshops and be awed at the talent of expert flying instructors – and learn some tips! This family-friendly festival unites S.T.E.A.M concepts, the Caribbean’s rich history of kite-flying, and outdoor adventures.

5. Catch an Annual Street Fair

Carroll Park Fair
Saturday, May 18 | 10am-5pm | FREE | Carroll Gardens
The annual Carroll Park Fair returns! Find some bargains and meet your neighbors. Face painting, music, crafts, housewares, art, books, clothes, jewelry, antiques, collectibles, and more.
Willowtown Annual Spring Fair
Saturday, May 18 | 12-6PM | FREE | Brooklyn Heights
The Willowtown Association hosts its annual spring fair with face painters, a bouncy house, a bake sale, music, games, and more.
Graham Ave Fiesta
Saturday, May 18 | 10am-6pm | FREE | Williamsburg
Get ready for a full-day, family-friendly street festival event on Graham Avenue–Avenue of Puerto Rico filled with local food, fashion, music, community, and business opportunities. The festival’s scheduled entertainment brings to their stage a number of musical performances from throughout the neighborhood including School of Rock-Williamsburg, the Academia de Mariachi Nuevo Amanecer, the Danza Fiesta dance troupe, and more.
Fabulous 5th Ave Fair
Sunday, May 19 | 10am-6pm | FREE | Park Slope
Come to one of the best street fairs in the city with lots of local food, shopping, art, music and fun on 5th Avenue in Park Slope, Brooklyn, between Sterling and 12th Street.
DanceAfrica Bazaar
Sat, May 25 12-10pm, Sun, May 26 & Mon, May 27 12-8pm | FREE | Fort Greene
DanceAfrica’s beloved bazaar returns, featuring more than 150 vendors from around the world, offering African, Caribbean, and African-American food, crafts, and fashion. Celebrate the rich and diverse cultural heritage of Africa and its diaspora—and see the streets surrounding BAM transformed into a global marketplace.

6. Enjoy Kid-Friendly Programs on Open Streets

DUMBO Family Games on Sundays on car-free Washington Street
Sundays starting May 19 | FREE | DUMBO
DUMBO BID and Brooklyn Bridge Parents invite you to join them for Family Games fun for Dumbo residents on Car-Free Washington Street.
BHA Dog Show at Montague Open Streets
Sunday, May 19 | 1:30pm | FREE | Brooklyn Heights
The BHA Dog Show is back! Come watch the Dog Show with local fur babies competing for Best Tail, Best Trick, Most Adorable, and more.

7. BAM DanceAfrica Festival

May 18-May 30 | Times and dates vary | FREE | Fort Greene, Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn Heights

This Memorial Day weekend, the nation’s largest festival dedicated to African diasporic dance and music opens up Brooklyn’s stages to the ancestral history and vital living artistry of Cameroon. Now in its 47th year, DanceAfrica explores the past and present of Central African history, arts, and culture. Check out the Festival's Cameroonian anchor dance performances, DanceAfrica Bazaar, FilmAfrica, or events including a Community Day in Bed-Stuy on May 18 or Workshops/Classes in Brooklyn Bridge Park on May 25 and Mark Morris Dance Center on May 27.

8. Public Beaches Reopen for Swimming!

Saturday, May 25 | 10am-6pm | FREE | Coney Island, Brighton Beach, Manhattan Beach

Beaches are open from Memorial Day weekend through September 8, 2024. Swimming is prohibited when lifeguards are not on duty and in closed sections marked with signs and/or red flags.

9. Brooklyn Memorial Day Parade

Monday, May 27 | 11am | FREE | Bay Ridge

A Brooklyn tradition since 1867, the Brooklyn Memorial Day Parade is considered to be the oldest continuously run Memorial Day parade in a large city in the nation. Veterans, civic groups, schools, and marching bands parade along 3rd Avenue toward the Verrazzano Bridge ending with a service honoring Veterans.

10. DUMBO Drop

Friday, May 31 | 3:30-6:30pm Kids Zone (FREE) , 5pm & 7pm elephant drops ($15-25) | DUMBO

DUMBO DROP is an Annual Tradition where thousands of toy elephants parachute down from the skies of Dumbo onto cobblestoned Washington Street – Brooklyn’s most iconic block. Plus, there's an epic block party with kids activities, restaurant row and more! All proceeds from ticket sales go directly to Dumbo’s Title 1 public schools, PS307 Elementary + The Dock Street Middle School. NEW! You must purchase a viewing ticket to watch the elephants fly! Plus, enjoy FREE Dumbo Archway Kids Zone + Block Party as always.