Top May Festivals in Cincinnati

Spring has sprung, and with spring comes exciting events in Cincinnati! May features some of the city’s best festivals from Cincy-Cinco to Taste of Cincinnati.

Check off your Cinco de Mayo plans! This is it! Cincy-Cinco is a family-friendly street festival on Fountain Square. Friday, May 4th kicks off with live music and dancing, open food stalls and free games for all to enjoy. The festival also features a free children’s area with kid-friendly activities including pot painting, a petting zoo, and other crafts. The festival is open May 4th at 6:00 PM, May 5th at 12:00 PM, and May 6th at 12:00 PM.

Celebrating Appalachian culture through the Appalachian Festival has been a Mother’s Day Weekend tradition for 49 years. Coney Island welcomes the Appalachian Community Development Council every Spring to connect locals and visitors alike with live music, storytellers, artisan crafts, and delicious Appalachian delicacies. The festival is open May 11th-13th. General admission is $5 Friday and $10 Saturday and Sunday.

If you’re looking for something a little different, this choral festival is for you. The May Festival features the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and the May Festival Chorus for the longest running choral festival outside of Europe. This year the festival makes its return to historic Music Hall, which was originally built to house the affair. Performances are May 18th-20th and May 25th-26th with ticket packages starting at $27.

Rounding out the month comes the Taste of Cincinnati street fair, covering five blocks of the downtown area and featuring 40 restaurants and food trucks. The festival is an annual congregation of foodies every Memorial Day Weekend, and just so happens to be the nation’s longest-running food festival (since 1979)! It kicks off May 26th and runs through the weekend.

Getting tired from all the street parties? Relax at the Krohn Butterfly Show. Every Spring, the Krohn Conservatory transforms into a butterfly extravaganza! 2018’s theme is Madagascar, bringing exotic flora and fauna specimens directly to Cincinnati from now through mid-June. Krohn Conservatory is located in Eden Park. The show is open daily from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Youth admission $4, Adult admission $7.

Mark your calendars, notify your friends and family, and get ready to put winter behind you!