Maycember, not just a cutsie nickname for this active (dare I say reactive) month. It’s a reminder to all the parents out there that when you’re about to invoke your inevitable calls for Mayday, Mayday, Mayday!, that Napa Kids is here to help carry some of that heavy lifting!
We’ve got what you need to know this month: Mother’s Day shortcuts and links, Cinco de Mayo fun, Swim lesson sign-ups, new camps that just hit the town, plus early access events around town to help make your summer planning smooth sailing.
May 2nd: Kids Day / ¡Día del Niño! 2026 hosted by COPE Family Center. 11-2pm. Oxbow Commons. Free to all. Games, entertainment, food, and more!
May 2nd: STEAM Discovery Festival at the Solano Community College.
May 2nd: Opening Day on the River the fun kicks off at noon!
May 2nd: Flower Pounding 101, 11-12pm. Yountville Library. Pre-teens+
May 2nd: Stones & Stillness: Gemstone Beading + Meditative Artmaking, for the mamas at The Village Calistoga. Can’t make it? Form & Fire - Silver Clay Ring Making Workshop coming June 6th!
May 3rd: Bikefest 2026, 9am-3pm. Bikes, rides, music, food, bike swaps, games, activities, prizes - fun for all ages! Come support this event at Oxbow Commons.
Signup to join Kidicle Mass, a Napa PD 3.35 mile family bike ride!
May 3rd, 17th, & 24th: Connolly Ranch’s Self-Guided Open House, Farm-to-Table (“cooking”) Class. This month class features Pizza with Farm Fresh Favs, Lavender Syrup, and Lemon Zest Butter - yum! Free - $45.
May 3rd: Cinco de Mayo Sonoma Plaza — music, dancing, entertainment, food. A wonderful night in celebration. 12pm - 6pm.
May 4th: DIY Pressed Flower Frame, 3-4pm. Pre-teens+. Free. Yountville Library.
May 5th: Sonoma’s Tuesday Night Farmers Market, kicks-off for the 2026 season.
May 9th: MusicTime with Festival Napa, 10-10:45am. Calistoga Library. School age children and families. Free.
May 9th: MusicTime in the Library, featuring flutist Katrina Walter, St. Helena Library. All ages. 12:15 - 1:15pm. Free.
May 9th Succulent Swap, Napa Library. 3-4:30. All ages. Free. Napa Library.
May 13th: Rainbow Bookclub, 6-7pm. Teens - Adults. Free, RSVP appreciated. Napa Bookmine.
May 13th: Jim Henson’s Wowsabout: Bring Awe to Life. 9am Youtube Live.
May 14th: Bike to Work & School Day, submit your pledge to ride and be entered to win various prizes
May 16th: 4th Annual Geek Out Napa Valley Comic-Con, 10-4pm. All Ages. Free. Napa Library.
May 16th - 17th: Dino Trax — a dinosaur-themed train days at the Children’s Museum of Sonoma County.
May 17th: Colores de Napa at The Coop! OMG it’s all of our favs coming together! Youth benefit art show, paint & sip, gourmet farm-to-table bites, kids crafts. Let’s come together and raise funds for the kids! 10am - 1pm
May 17th: Napa Center for Thought and Culture Presents Sewam American Indian Dance. Doors open at 1:30pm. Jarvis Conservatory.
May 20th: Mandala Making, Teens / Ages 11 - 18. Snacks provided. Free. Napa Library.
May 22nd - 24th: Bottlerock Napa Valley! Free for 5 and under with adult ticket.
May 28th: Farm Fest — A monthly family-friendly event featuring live music and summer BBQ. 6-10pm. Adults $85, $35 Children. Carneros Resort and Spa.
May 30th: STEM Explorers: Investigate Coding with Micro:bits, 11-12:30 pm. Ages 8 - 18. Free, registration required. Napa Library.
May 31st: Flavors of Film Series - Hugo, 2-4:30pm. Ticketed event. CIA Copia.
Napa Valley 1839 Soccer Summer Camp
Napa United Pre/Academy Fall Tryouts and Fall Rec Registration League
M/T/TH: Generations and Books: Read with a library Grandparent at the Napa Library. Preschool.
M/W/F: Bow Wow for Books for young readers at the Napa Library.
Starts June 18th: Silverado Resorts’ Music on the Mansion Lawn. 6-8pm, all ages. Free.
Fridays: Storytime for Young Children at Napa Bookmine at 10am.
Fridays: Carneros Resorts’ Moonlight Movies series. “At Sunset,” all ages. Carneros Resort and Spa. Free, reservation appreciated.
Fridays: Mariachi Nights at Taqueria Maria. Call ahead to check.
Sundays: Juniper Stations’ Sunday Series from 10am - 12pm.
Every 2nd Saturday (March-November): Family Nature Adventures at Chabot
May 10th: Swifty — a Taylor Swift Tribute Band is throwing it down at the Sweetwater Music Hall in Mill Valley. Worth the trip!
June 11th: Cline Country Bluegrass Festival
Promo Code Alert! Gualalalalallalaaaaa River Redwood Park is offering 30% off your campaign stay when you book Sunday - Thursday in the month of May. I know, I know, we’re busy… but, nature! Promo code: BLOOMOUTSIDE30
Napa Regional Dance Company presents Zoetic, their highly anticipated annual spring showcase celebrating the artistry, discipline, and growth of their dancers. This year’s performance, features classical excerpts, modern compositions, and student choreography, each piece highlighting the depth of talent within this incredible program.
🩰 Sunday, May 17th at 5PM
📍 Napa Valley College Performing Arts Center - 2277 Napa-Vallejo Highway
Tickets are available now on Eventbrite. Napa Kids subscribers can enjoy 10% off with code NAPAKIDSZOETIC.
A beautiful evening of dance and a meaningful way to support the local arts community.
In-Shape Fitness, member and non-member pricing
HealthQuest, member and non-member pricing
Waves Aquatics, lessons, competitive swim teams
Napa Valley Swim Team, lessons, non-competitive and competitive swim teams
Calistoga Parks and Recreation, residents and non-resident pricing
American Canyon Parks and Recreation
Vamos a Nadar (bilingual swimming lessons) — locations throughout Sonoma County
Bothe-State Park Pool, St. Helena
St. Helena High School Pool and Aquatics Complex, St. Helena
Morton Warm Springs, Glen Ellen
Aquatics at Allan Witt Park (splash pad and pools) Fairfield
Spring Lake Regional Park (lagoon and water park), Santa Rosa
Healdsburg Veterans Memorial Beach, Healdsburg
Swimply — Rent residential pools in your community by the hour
Resort Pass — Can’t find a deal on your booking? Message us for $20 off your first booking.
Did we miss anything?? Those hot summer nights are just around the corner… and they’re more fun when they’re spent together 🫶
We have options across every price point — from a lavish brunch to a free morning at the farmers market. Here’s a range worth knowing about.
Free: Napa Farmers Market every Saturday 8am - 12pm — Think: cheery Sunday morning, full of strawberries, pastries, flowers, live music, and weekly kids’ activities. Pick up a bouquet from a local grower, grab coffee and something sweet, and wander. For the moms who’d rather be outside than at a table, this is the move.
Free: Picnic at Bartholomew Park or Yountville Park — Grab some grub to-go from The Valley Villager HOT new Napa Breakfast Sando Guide, bring a blanket, let the kids kick around a ball. Simple, unhurried, genuinely lovely on a warm May morning. Don’t overthink it.
$24+: Made for Momma, A Village Calistoga Mother’s Day Experience for mamas and little hands — kids create a colorful bouquet from scratch. Tastings available. Space is limited.
$40: Mother’s Day at North Bay BMX — get on the track for a ride, brunch, and photo ops! This one will be the memory maker, no doubt.
$55: Kindled & Grounded is hosting a Mama & Me Candle Experience includes candle making, live music, and photo ops. Pre-registration is encouraged.
Mid-range: Azur Downtown Wine Lounge — A flower arranging event where kids make mom a bouquet while she sips rosé. The rare Mother’s Day activity where everyone gets something out of it.
Splurge: TRUSS at Four Seasons Calistoga — lavish buffet brunch with prime rib, made-to-order omelets, and a full dessert spread. $135 per adult, $55 for kids ages 5–12.
Looking for a very special goodie?? Check out these gorgeous Mother’s Day curated gift boxes by Juniper Station. Hurry in that order though, they need to be in by today (May 1st)! Order link here!
Jefferies General aka “Your Mom’s Favorite Shop” just dropped the cutest Mother’s Day Cards. Swing by, grab a card, stay for the great company!
Rory’s Bakehouse has all the ready-to-eat, frozen, and bake-at-home sweet and savory delights to make the day extra special (and save all those dirty dishes for another night!)
Ten DIY ideas that go beyond the construction paper card — these are the ones mom might actually keep.
Pressed Flower Bookmarks — Kids collect flowers from the garden or the farmers market, press them, then seal them. The result looks like something you’d buy at a boutique. Requires a few buy-ahead extra materials.
Hand-Painted Linen Napkins — Grab plain white or natural linen cocktail napkins and fabric paint. Kids stamp or paint a simple motif — a sprig of lavender, a lemon slice, their handprint made to look like a flower. Machine washable, actually useful, and a set of four looks like a real gift.
Herb Garden in a Painted Terracotta Pot — Plant a small herb that mom actually uses (basil, rosemary, mint), let the kids paint or stamp the pot, and tie it with twine. Simple, functional, and much more personal than a candle.
Clay Garden Markers — I mean… its what she ACTUALLY needs if she’s been following along with Napa Kids’ must-visit plant sales last month…! Let that garden grow (and be identifiable) all season long!
Recipe Card Set — Kids write out (or dictate, for younger ones) their favorite things mom cooks on nice cardstock with illustrations. Hole-punch and tie with ribbon. It’s part gift, part archive.
Salt Dough Impression Jewelry Dish — Mix salt dough, press small hands or fingers in to create texture, shape into a shallow dish, bake, and paint with gold or white. Functional, long-lasting, and the handprint element is something moms actually keep for years.
Homemade Infused Oil or Honey — With supervision, kids fill a small glass bottle with good olive oil and dried herbs (rosemary, chili, garlic), or warm honey with lavender or thyme. Label it with a handwritten tag. Looks like something from a specialty food shop, costs almost nothing. Note: it won’t be “done” for Mother’s Day, but you can still gift the aging delight and have a wonderful treat to look forward to together.
Is it a good excuse to support a local non-profit? It is…
Is it a good excuse to call up the girls for a night out (and in bed by 11pm!… or not 😜) It IS…
Is it a GREAT excuse to put on something colorful that makes you feel amazing and hit the dance floor with friends and soon-to-be-new friends? It Certainly Is!!
Join the party at Napa’s beautiful Celadon for the Napa Valley Nursery School’s Fiesta Fundraiser! Feast, Dance, and go home with some fantastic auction prizes that just might include some strategic summer camp winnings.
We call that “mom”ti-tasking.
Protect one weekend. May will try to fill every single slot on your calendar. Block one now — not for anything productive, just for being outside, sleeping in, or doing whatever the family actually wants to do. It won’t happen unless you defend it.
Lower the bar on weeknight dinners. This is a taco-kit month. A cereal-for-dinner month. A “we’re getting sandwiches from the deli” month. You are doing enough.
Go outside before the heat arrives. May is genuinely the best outdoor month in the valley — warm but not scorching, green but not muddy. Even 45 minutes at a park after school resets everyone. Sunlight is free therapy. Use it.
Napa Kids began as a little passion project to highlight local events, connect families, and grow community 💛 If you’ve been enjoying what we share, we’d be so grateful if you considered supporting us with a small pledge on Substack, it helps us keep the fun (and the info!) coming!
Last but not least… local news:
So long Forge! We’ll miss you. You were one of the very (shockingly VERY) few authentically kid-friendly restaurants in Napa. We’ll miss you from the bottom of our pizza-pie hearts.
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