Montpelier Mayfest

Montpelier Mayfest

Celebrate Spring during Montpelier's Month-Long Mayfest! 

All Species Day, Onion River Outdoors Bike Swap, Green Up Day, Race Against Racism, and opening day of the Capital City Farmers Market are a few of the ways downtown Montpelier celebrates the return of warm weather!

Most events take place outdoors in beautiful and walkable downtown!  While celebrating downtown, grab a bite at one of our delicious restaurants and visit our unique and independent shops & boutiques.

Mayfest Activities in Montpelier (Note: events are listed in chornological order)

  • All Species Day: Sunday April 30, 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm.  Opening ceremonies begin in Hubbard Park at noon, then at 1:15 pm, a parade of people dressed as animals leads to the Statehouse lawn and from 2:30 - 4:00 pm a celebration and the Birth Of Spring Pageant. Come dressed as your favorite species and join in celebrating our interdependence with all of life. 

  • Opening day of the outdoor location of the  Capital City Farmers Market - Saturday May 6th, 9:00 am - 1:00 pm

  • Cinco De Mayo

    • Bent Nail Bistro: Friday May, 5th, 5 pm to close, “Cinco de "My Oh!" with live music from the NAILERS

    • Julio’s Cantina: Friday May 5th, 11:30 am to 8:30 pm. Giveaways and drink specials.

  • Green Up Day:  Saturday May 6th, 9:00 - 1:00 pm (Stop by the farmers market 9 am - 1 pm or the Bike Swap from 9 am - 12 pm to pick up supplies.)

    • No Mow May - for the entire month of May: Consider "No-Mow-May" this month for a real-life pollinator paradise! By simply eliminating or sharply reducing the mowing of your lawn and allowing more flowers to bloom offers bees and other pollinators a wonderful playground of floral resources at a critical time in their lifecycle. Studies have shown this simple act can increase abundance and diversity of wildlife in your yard, especially pollinators.

  • Onion River Outdoors Bike Swap : Saturday May 6, 9:00 - 12:00 pm

  • Montpelier Complete Streets Bike Rodeo, Sunday May 7, 10:00  to 12:00 pm Join the Montpelier Complete Streets Committee for a fun bike skills course for children ages 5 years and up. Participants get facilitated instruction and a certificate of completion! This event is free. Registration is requested, but not required. 

  • Race against Racism: Montpelier High School, Sunday May 7th, 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm,  a state-wide annual anti-racist event, organized by youth from several Vermont high schools. All are welcome to a public rally, curated with a spectacular list of notable speakers, live music, and performances.

  • Kellogg Hubbard Library

    • Hayes Room, Dare Not Speak: Wednesday, May 3, 2023, 7 pm  In-Person - Michael Bosia, a leading scholar on global trans- and homophobia, argues that manufactured “LGBTQI+ peril” helps obscure growing social inequality and policy failures of politicians. In this talk, Bosia focuses on laws and rhetoric that target the LGBTQI+ communities as part of a global anti-democratic effort. This is a free, in-person program, part of the Vermont Humanities First Wednesdays series. 

    • Nurturing a Child’s Sense of Wonder: Family/Parent Discussion Series: Monday, May 1, 6:30-8:00 PM  Zoom, Monday, May 15, 6:30-8:00 PM  Zoom , Monday, May 22, 4:30-5:30 PM  Kellogg Hubbard Library Lawn  (kids encouraged to join the third session)  -- Get ready for spring outdoor play! Join this free discussion series to explore topics and best practices in supporting nature-based play and adventure while nurturing a sense of wonder, place, and well-being. Using ideas from the book, Adventure, Play, Peace by Nancy MacPhee Bower. Register at: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcudumgrTovE9Q1EDg73F7hBadxNOmEbeNo 

    • Advance Care Planning Workshop: Wednesday, May 17,  6:30 pm, In-Person -- Central Vermont Home Health & Hospice hosts an advance-care planning workshop. They will talk about why now is the right time to start the process and walk people through the steps to take. They will also offer an overview of the range of care options. This is a free, in-person program at the Kellogg-Hubbard Library in the Hayes Room. 

  • Lost Nation Theater, 39 Main St: My Mother’s Three Mothers: Thursday- Sunday, May 25th - June 11th, 7:30pm Thursday–Saturdays; 2:00 pm Sundays. My Mother’s Three Mothers, a woman’s search for her birth mother sends shock waves of secrets, shame, choices, & consequences through generations. Inspired by a true story, Erin Galligan Baldwin’s new play asks “Who owns your story?”