15 May events for Pittsburgh families, from ChalkFest and TRAF to the star-studded Resilience Bowl

Photo above courtesy of Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens

Looking for May events for Pittsburgh families? The month of May is filled with festivals and celebrations, from Remake Learning Days and the Children’s Theater Festival to the annual, incredibly cool ChalkFest. The final day of May is also the kickoff of the Three Rivers Arts Festival. And there’s a brand new festival in town that sports fans are going to love: The Resilience Bowl.

Check out all the details here in our guide to May events for Pittsburgh families:

May 2 through May 22: Remake Learning Days, multiple locations. Pittsburgh’s annual festival of fun, hands-on learning events is here! Celebrate creative and joyful learning as a family, doing things like building a robot, coding an art spinner, directing a film, exploring the outdoors and making your own music at hundreds of in-person and virtual events hosted by schools, museums, libraries and tech companies. Details here. Nearly all events are free, but many require registration.

May 3: Powdermill Avian Research Center guided tours. Enjoy a free guided tour of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History’s program at Powdermill, which will teach about the bird banding lab and research facility including the flight tunnel. Visit the lab and see up-close how researchers safely capture and band birds, and learn about the data they gather. Hear about how they are studying avian perception of glass so that glass manufacturers and building designers can help reduce bird-window collisions. Free, but guests must pre-register for the tour and arrive at PARC by 8:00 a.m.

May 4: No-Sew DIY Upcycling with Nisha Blackwell. Knotzland founder and Pittsburgh style expert Nisha Blackwell hosts this family-friendly, free class where you’ll turn an old t-shirt into a stylish tote bag. Bring your own shirt or use one they’ll have available at this Remake Learning Days event. Details and registration here.

May 4 and May 11: “Moana” and “Super Mario Bros.” at Hartwood Acres. Check out “Moana” on May 4 and “Super Mario Bros.” on May 11, during the Allegheny County Drive-in Movies Series. Parking opens at 6 p.m. and the movie screening begins at dusk. Free admission.

May 4 through Sept. 2: Phipps’ Summer Flower Show: Under the Sea and Butterfly Forest. Summer Flower Show: Under the Sea celebrates the vibrant life in the ocean through gorgeous displays that transport guests directly to scenes from the sea. Also opening on May 4 is the Butterfly Forest, an annual favorite for visitors of all ages. Get an up-close look at some of nature’s most prized pollinators alongside the blossoming flowers that feed them, as you stroll along a winding forest path over a bridge, past ponds and through a tunnel. Details here.

May 11: The Greater Pittsburgh Festival of Books: Again this year, Pittsburgh’s homegrown festival of all things literary is happening on the campus of the Pittsburgh Theological Seminary on Highland Avenue. Get all the details here.

May 11: Community Day at Contemporary Craft. At this Remake Learning Days event, families will find creative, hands-on activities and artist demos, along with a special “art handler” activity which shows what goes into putting together an art exhibition. The celebration also showcases the capstone projects of this year’s TACT (Teen Apprentice in Craft and Technology) participants. Details here.

May 13: Edible Aquifers. Visit the Whitehall Public Library for a fun-filled family night and learn about the world beneath your feet by creating an incredible, edible aquifer! What is an aquifer? It’s a body of porous rock or sediment saturated with groundwater. In this experiment, families will use soda to represent groundwater and candy and other sweets to represent the layers of the earth. This is an experiment where you can eat the results! Get details and register here for this free event.

May 14: Teen Time: Jasmine Cho Artivism. This afternoon Teen Time program, centered on Pittsburgh artist Jasmine Cho’s book “Role Models Who Look Like Me: Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders Who Made History,” will increase teens’ awareness of notable Asian American and Pacific Islander role models. Teens will then create a portrait based on her style. Happening at CLP Woods Run. Get details here.

May 17-19: EQT Children’s Theater Festival, Downtown. Now in its 38th year, the EQT Children’s Theater Festival sparks young imaginations through high-quality professional theater performances from around the world. Paid tickets are required for the theatrical performances, but the festival is packed with dozens of free activities throughout three days of fun.

May 18: Ultimate Play Day, Riverview Park. This annual event is an opportunity for people from throughout the Pittsburgh region to play together and raise awareness of the benefits of play for all ages. Free, but registration is required.

May 18: Pittsburgh Mac and Cheese Festival, Strip District. More than 30 mac and cheese variations will be offered by chefs, food trucks and vendors. You’ll also find live music at this outdoor celebration. Admission is free for kids 12 and younger, but the cost of food is separate. Tickets for teen and adult admission, and for food and drinks, run from $20 to $69.

May 19: Fred Rogers Productions Mini Golf Outing

The event will take place at Cool Springs in Bethel Park and is a family-friendly event that will feature a light-hearted mini-golf competition among teams of two as a kid-friendly alternative to a typical charitable golf outing. Other fun festivities include music, games, and photo-ops with characters from Daniel Tiger’s Neighborhood, Alma’s Way, and other special guests. All proceeds will go to Fred Rogers Productions and the advancement of children’s media. Find out more info here.

May 21: Resilience Bowl, hosted by Troy and Theodora Polamalu. This fun, football-inspired event at Acrisure Stadium is designed to raise money and awareness for the Neighborhood Resilience Project. Tickets run just $10-$20. Several big name athletes and celebrities have already signed up to take part in the flag football portion of the event. Along with Troy Polamalu, you’ll see tons of other stars including Ben Roethlisberger, Damar Hamlin, Hines Ward, Ryan Shazier, Charlie Batch, Wiz Khalifa and many more. Get tickets here.

May 25 through 26: Riverlife Chalk Fest, North Side. This annual celebration of chalk art opens on Saturday, May 25 at 1 p.m. and runs through Sunday. But eager families can drop by Isabella Street on the North Side on Friday evening to see chalk artists, including Pittsburgh’s “Chalking Dad” Erik Greenawalt, create their masterpieces. Get all the details here.

May 31 through June 9: Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival, Downtown. Expect 10 days of free fun, music and activities for kids. The music lineup includes Ben Folds, Los Lonely Boys and iconic artists Sugarhill Gang & The Furious Five.

Want more family fun? Check out our public events calendar and sign up for our newsletter so you don’t miss a thing.