One reason to be excited about May is the average temperature of 67°F; there are many other reasons to welcome the month with open arms! Who else is also excited about being one month closer to summer?!? We’ve rounded up some fun things for your family to do this month in Northeast Wisconsin! Make sure to check out our family-friendly calendar with even more things to do!
New in May!
Washed Ashore at the Garden opens May 2 and runs until September 2, 2025, at the Green Bay Botanical Garden. Explore nine spectacular sculptures made with plastic debris from the Pacific Ocean. The Green Bay Botanical Garden is the only Wisconsin venue to host this traveling exhibit!
New Exhibits at the Mulva Cultural Center in De Pere
Explore Your World: May 17 – September 7, 2025
Be captivated and surprised in the quest to explore cities, oceans, and the night sky. You will undertake a quest across land, sea, and space to explore the role of mapping and navigation in everyday life. You will find the seven ‘quest’ stations to solve puzzles and collect different parts of your own map, which can then be viewed and brought to life through augmented reality. Among the different exhibits in Explore Your World, you’ll be able to escape a virtual building in an emergency, pilot a simulated underwater exploration vehicle, and challenge your friends and family to a giant game of battleships.
Top Secret: License to Spy: May 17 – September 7, 2025
In Top Secret: License to Spy, the visitor acts as a secret agent, uncovering facts and investigating leads to determine which of the suspects, if any, can be implicated in the crime.
The exhibition focuses on the science and technology of spying and espionage. On arrival at the exhibition, you are presented with a scenario and six suspects. Armed with your spy file, you will be challenged with gathering intelligence from selected exhibits to uncover information on the suspects. Some exhibits you will encounter include a phone tap, code room, spy satellite, and a debriefing room.
Alonzo Park, Hortonville is opening a new playground and splash pad soon! Watch for updates!
Park Bathrooms Open
Most bathrooms open at our local parks. No more little potty emergencies! Find new parks to explore in our Park Series! Our favorite parks for spring have the rubber ground, and we have over a dozen in the Fox Cities and options in Oshkosh, too.
If you are looking for a unique option, check out the playground at Heckrodt for a mud kitchen and tree house, a wooden playground in Chilton, Riverlife in Wausau, Jojo’s Jungle in Wausau.
Purple Octopus Playground at the Above & Beyond Children’s Museum in Sheboygan looks fun! It opened in August last year. The Shaw Family Playground is another great park in Sheboygan, too!
Runoff some energy at the Titletown District playground.
Openings
- May 1, 2025: Mulberry Lane Farm opens.
- May 1, 2025: Bookworm Gardens in Sheboygan opens.
- May 3, 2025: Bay Beach opens for the season.
- Memorial Day Weekend: Plamann Park‘s Children’s Farm opens.
- May 26, 2025: Memorial Day and an extra day with our families!
- May 2025: Field of Scenes Drive-In Movie Theatre in Freedom opens
- May 26, 2025: Menominee Park Zoo in Oshkosh opens daily
Mother’s Day: May 11, 2025
Celebrate Mother’s Day with a yummy brunch, a special day, or just exploring a new or favorite local spot! If you are looking for things to do, check out these local spots with FREE admission for Moms.
FREE Admission for Moms:
- Building for Kids Children’s Museum, Appleton
- Milwaukee Zoo, Milwaukee
- Green Bay Botanical Garden, Green Bay
- Canopy Tour and ice cream at Suamico Creamery, an Ice cream shop located in Vickery Village in Suamico
- Mulberry Lane Farm, Sherwood
- Paine Art Center & Gardens, Oshkosh
- NEW Zoo & Adventure Park, Green Bay
Memorial Day – May 26, 2025
An important holiday in the United States, Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday of May each year, Monday, May 29, 2023. Originally known as Decoration Day, it was established after the Civil War to honor those who died while serving in the armed forces.
It’s a day where we remember and pay tribute to the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.
Some of our local events include:
- Appleton’s Annual Memorial Day Parade and Moment of Remembrance Ceremony
- Annual Neenah Menasha Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony
- Neenah American Legion Post 33 Memorial Day Car Show & Brat Fry at Lucky Dogz
Did you know we also have a military and veterans museum? Check out the Military Museum and Educational Center in Oshkosh!
May Festivals & Events
We have so many fun festivals and events in Northeast Wisconsin!
Horicon Marsh Bird Festival: May 9-11, 2025
Family-friendly activities and educational experiences for birders of all levels. Activities include trips to Old Marsh Road, a unique experience of night sounds, paddling and bird watching, LIVE birds of prey, as well as smaller and more intimate guided tours.
Portage County Cultural Festival, Stevens Point: May 10, 2025
This annual, 1-day event at Stevens Point Area Senior High celebrates the diversity of cultures in Portage County. Experience fantastic food, music, folk dances, native crafts, and children’s games from around the world.
Light the Night Market, Downtown Appleton: May 16, 2025
The Night Market brings a lively renaissance flair to the community, featuring thrilling attractions like sword swallowers, LARP battles, turkey legs, maypole dancing, and more! Families can also look forward to the return of popular favorites from past events, including a variety of food trucks, arts and crafts vendors, interactive hands-on activities, mesmerizing street performers, live music, and an abundance of glowing lights to brighten the night sky.
Festival of Spring, The Paine, Oshkosh: May 17, 2025
Festival of Spring is a free outdoor event at the Paine Art Center and Gardens in Oshkosh and features a spring plant sale and more than 100 vendors of original art, fine crafts, plants, and garden supplies. Other activities include free admission to the Paine mansion and gardens, an art activity for kids, tasty food, and live entertainment.
Celebrate De Pere, De Pere: May 24 – 26, 2024
Celebrate De Pere is an annual festival held at Voyager Park in De Pere on Memorial Day weekend and includes a car show, food, live music, a fishing tournament, a parade, kids’ activities, fireworks, a carnival, and more!
Hmong National Memorial Day Festival, Oshkosh: May 24-25, 2025
This annual festival at the Winnebago County Parks is a weekend of fun with sports, food, music, and vendors. Enjoy lots of competitions, including a fashion show, soccer, volleyball, flag football, topspin, kato, dance, and talent.
Port Festival of the Arts, Downtown Port Washington: May 31, 2025
FREE art-filled celebration in our historic downtown on the lake. Spend a day creating art, perusing art, listening to and watching performing arts with FREE ART ACTIVITIES for families, music stage on the lake, and global dance and acrobatics.
Splash Pads Open!
Splash pads have become incredibly popular among families and children of all ages over the past few years. These fantastic water playgrounds are the perfect way to beat the heat and have some fun in the sun without worrying about the hazards of traditional swimming pools. Unlike regular pools, splash pads are equipped with various water features that splash, spray, and shoot water from all angles, providing a refreshing and exciting way to stay cool during hot summer days. Most of the splash pads in the Fox Cities are open from Memorial Day to Labor Day.
Some of our favorite FREE splash pads include:
- Sunset Park, Kimberly (brand new in 2024!)
- Washington Park, Neenah
- Wanick-Choute Park, Sherwood
- South Park, Oshkosh
- Lakeside Park, Fond du Lac
Happy May!
