May is blooming with family-friendly events in Brooklyn! Kick off the outdoor season with street fairs like Spring Fling on Montague Open Streets and DUMBO Family Games. Plus, save the date for BAM’s DanceAfrica Festival, DUMBO Drop on Washington Street—featuring a free Kids Zone complete with a bouncy slide—and the Red Hook Regatta, where DIY boats take on the Brooklyn waterfront. And check out the first-ever Video Games Festival, just across the river in lower Manhattan!
1. Show Brooklyn Some Love Fest at Albee Square & City Point
Saturday, May 10 | 11am-2pm | Ages 1-10 | FREE | RSVP here | Downtown Brooklyn
Free Mother’s Day Flower Bar (make a custom bouquet for mom), face painting, performances including Hopalong Andrew and African drumming, #selfies with the Green Lady of Brooklyn and kids activities. The event for all ages will take place at City Point and Albee Square in Downtown Brooklyn on Saturday, May 10 from 11 am to 2 pm.
Plus, so much more Mother’s Day fun! Click here for our full round-up of family events, brunch spots, and more surprises for Mom.
2. DUMBO Family Games
Sunday, May 11, May 18 and May 25 | 11am-1pm | FREE | RSVP here | DUMBO
Sunday Family Games on car-free Washington Street are back for the season and a great way to play, meet neighbors and enjoy an epic view! Free Legos, crafts and a rotating roster of activities for kiddos aged 1 to 6 every Sunday from 11 am to 1 pm until the end of June and then again in September and October (weather permitting). Curated by the DUMBO Business Improvement District x Brooklyn Bridge Parents and supported by Leaf Medical & Leaf Dental in DUMBO.
3. Kite Festival in Brooklyn Bridge Park
Saturday, May 17 | 11am-3pm | FREE | Brooklyn Bridge Park
Join Brooklyn Bridge Park for a day of sky-high fun at their annual Kite Festival! This is the one day each year when kite flying is open to the public in the park—so don’t miss your chance to see the sky fill with color against the stunning Manhattan skyline. Bring your own kite, purchase, or make one on site, and take part in a joyful spring celebration for all ages. Enjoy hands-on crafts, classic lawn games, live music, and engaging activities from local community partners. Whether you’re a first-time flyer or a seasoned pro, this is the perfect opportunity to welcome the season with a breeze. This is a free event. Stay tuned for further details and schedule!
4. Catch a Brooklyn street fair
- 20th Annual Graham Avenue Fiesta
Saturday, May 17 | 10am-6pm | FREE | Williamsburg
Have a blast at the 20th Annual Graham Avenue Fiesta on May 17! Enjoy 100+ local merchants & vendors, circus acts performances from Skyz the Limit, live music, outdoor dining, a treasure hunt, and a 360 video camera booth! - Bedford’s Welcome Back Block Party at Bedford Library
Saturday, May 17 | 11am-4pm | FREE | Bed Stuy
The library is back! Join us in celebrating Bedford’s return to the community. There will be entertainment from Bubbles the Silly Entertainer at 11:30am, Fogo Azul Drumline at 12:30pm, plus DJs, giveaways, balloons animals, and more! - Willowtown Spring Fair
Saturday, May 17 | 12-5pm | FREE | Brooklyn Heights
TThere’s no better place to welcome the arrival of spring than at the Willowtown Association Annual Spring Fair. Come enjoy rides and games for the kids, delicious Mexican/Lebanese treats for new local restaurant El Cedro, music from Borderline Blue Grass Trio all leading up to our legendary longest Tug of War in Brooklyn competition. - Fabulous Fifth Avenue Fair
Sunday, May 18 | 10am-6pm | FREE | Park Slope
This annual street fair on 5th Avenue in Park Slope stretches between Sterling and 12th Street and features tons of local food, shopping, art, music and family-friendly fun! - DanceAfrica Bazaar
Saturday, May 24–Monday, May 26 | FREE | Fort Greene
DanceAfrica’s 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. Bazaar hours are Saturday, 12-10pm, Sunday & Monday, 12-8pm. - 14th Annual Bushwick Collective Block Party
Saturday, May 31 | 10am-6pm | FREE | Bushwick
Live DJ’s, graffiti, street art, food art and more at the annual Bushwick Collective Block Party on Saturday, May 31st from 10 am to 6 pm at 15 Scott Avenue. - The Smith – Street Festival
Saturday, May 31 | 10am-6pm | FREE | Boerum Hill & Carroll Gardens
The Smith – Street Festival is coming, with live music and dancing on Smith Street from Union to Bergen. Don’t miss The Francois Wiss Trio at Black Forest Brooklyn from 4-6pm. - And more! Check out our roundup of Brooklyn’s outdoor festivals and street fairs here.
5. Spring Fling on Montague Open Streets
Sunday, May 18 | 12-4 pm | FREE | RSVP here | Brooklyn Heights
Join Brooklyn Bridge Parents and Mommy Poppins for our first ever Spring Fling during Open Streets on Montague on Sunday, May 18 from 12 to 4 pm with 25 free kids activities, dance party and puppet show with Pippi Longstocking. We will have games, arts & crafts, soccer, face painting, building activities and obstacle course, much more.
6. BAM’s DanceAfrica Festival
Friday, May 23–Monday, May 26 | Performances at BAM start at $25 | Fort Greene & Brooklyn Bridge Park
The nation’s largest festival dedicated to African diasporic dance and music returns to the stages and streets of Brooklyn for its 48th year on Memorial Day weekend. In 2025, the festival will feature traditional dance and music from Mozambique. Learn more here! The Festival will feature performances on BAM’s stage, plus an outdoor bazaar in Fort Greene, a free DanceAfrica Community Class in Brooklyn Bridge Park on May 24, and more.
7. Brooklyn Memorial Day Parade
Monday, May 26 | 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.
8. DUMBO Drop
Friday, May 30 | Drops at 5pm & 7pm | DUMBO Drop Kids Zone 4-7pm | FREE kids zone & DUMBO Drop $15-$25/person
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 a free epic block party with kids activities, restaurant row and more! The DUMBO Drops will take place on Friday, May 30 with elephant drops ($15-25) at 5 and 7 pm. Tickets include a souvenir toy elephant, a guaranteed spot to view the Drop on the block of Washington Street between Front Street and Water Street, and an entry into that Drop’s prize sweepstakes with a chance to win major neighborhood prizes. Drops are ticketed separately. All individuals ages 2 and older are required to purchase a viewing ticket to witness the Drop. New this year, ticket holders can enjoy a special themed photo opp, live music by The Jelly, and an interactive dance party hosted by Life Time and their star trainer Joseph David. Bites and drinks will be for sale at a Taste of Dumbo restaurant row. Also, Enjoy the FREE Brooklyn Bridge Parents Kids Zone in the Archway and on the Plaza from 4 to 7 pm, no need to RSVP:
- 20+ activities for kiddos aged 1-12, powered by Brooklyn Bridge Parents
- A free Bouncy Slide, powered by Elliston Pediatrics
- A Bedazzling Extravaganza, hosted by Creatively Wild, for kids and kidults.
- Taste of Dumbo, a Dumbo restaurant row featuring neighborhood restaurants offering delicious menu options for sale
- A Beer Garden, where attendees can enjoy drinks al fresco from the Dumbo Archway bar
9. First-Ever NYC Video Games Festival
Saturday, May 31 | 9am-6pm | FREE | Register here | Lower Manhattan
NYC is hosting its first-ever Video Game Festival — a day-long free celebration of New York City’s booming digital games community featuring esports competitions, arcades, demos and more for New Yorkers to enjoy at Convene Brookfield Place. Cheer on your borough champion elementary, middle, and high school teams at the high-stakes live Mayor’s Cup Citywide Finals: Minecraft Education eSports Challenge to build a more sustainable, future-ready New York City. Watch Fortnite® & Valorant® collegiate eSports tournament finals! Play new and unreleased NYC-based developer games, casual and classic arcade games, plus table games with family and friends. Connect with college game development programs through New York State, game developers, and game industry professionals to learn about career opportunities. Enter the cosplay competition for prizes. Explore robotics & VR showcase, and so much more!
10. Red Hook Regatta
RESCHEDULED: Sunday, June 1 | 1-4pm | FREE | RSVP here | Red Hook
Note: This event was originally scheduled for Saturday, May 31, but has been rescheduled for Sunday, June 1 due to the rainy forecast.
Join us at Valentino Pier for the return of Red Hook Regatta, where remote-controlled, 3D-printed, and DIY boats take on an obstacle course along Red Hook’s picturesque waterfront. Pack a lunch, bring your DIY boata blanket, and enjoy science and art activities from Brooklyn-based community programs! Participants of all skill levels are welcome. Whether you’re a budding builder or a seasoned sailor, there’s something for everyone at this one-of-a-kind event that celebrates creativity and community. Through May, we’ll host workshops at Second Sundays to support builders in creating their boats to participate in the public 3D printed or DIY boat races. Limited, electronic motor kits are available through Learn & Engage’s programming—such as our May Second Sundays’s Red Hook Regatta Time Capsule workshop. Learn more about the workshop here!
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Updated: May 29, 2025. Main Image: Show Brooklyn Some Love Fest at Albee Square.
