Updated for 2026
Spring weekends stretch out in Cape May, and that’s when we see the town really shine. Our spring festivals slip easily into a long weekend, giving you music, birdsong, great meals, and plenty of excuses to linger.
The Jersey Shore doesn’t wait for summer to show off, and neither do we. Events and festivals happen throughout the year. And this season brings some of the most enjoyable spring events. Think live music, birding celebrations, and Restaurant Week, all timed perfectly for spring break and seasonal escapes.
Spring Festivals in May
May always feels like the true start of spring weekends in Cape May. Calendars fill quickly, and days slow down just enough to really enjoy the many things to do in the area. Spring also brings a full calendar, so it’s easy to build a weekend around all the fun activities. Below, you’ll find the festivals that give spring weekends their rhythm and beat, listed in the order they arrive.
The Cape May Renaissance Faire
May 2–3 | 📍 Directions
The Cape May Renaissance Faire pulls you out of your usual routine. We love watching guests drift from music to swordplay, then pause for a bite before wandering into another scene entirely. Costumes, live performances, and artisan booths fill the grounds, and the pace stays pleasantly unhurried. It’s playful, a little mischievous, and easy to enjoy without leaving our town.
World Series of Birding
May 9 & 10 | 📍 Multiple locations in Cape May
The World Series of Birding is another event that always makes us smile, mostly because it reminds us how alive Cape May feels in spring. Teams head out for an entire afternoon, listening for wingbeats and bird calls as migration hits its stride. Guests come back buzzing with stories or comparing notes over coffee. It’s less about competition and more about sharing the thrill of spotting something new, together, and all for a great cause.
Jersey Cape Sea Glass and Coastal Arts Festival
May 9 & 10 | 📍 Directions
The Jersey Cape Sea Glass and Coastal Arts Festival has become a spring favorite that we always look forward to. Guests stroll through Historic Cold Spring Village, pausing over shimmering sea glass and coastal art pieces shaped by wind and water. The afternoon invites lingering conversations and slow wandering. Cape May Diamonds are often an unexpected favorite that you naturally find along the shore.
Crafts and Collectibles Show
May 9, May 16 | 📍 Directions
The Crafts and Collectibles Show always sets an easy pace. We see guests wandering booth to booth, chatting with makers, and discovering pieces they didn’t know they were looking for. The mix of antiques, handmade goods, and small surprises makes it easy to pause and enjoy your time and the curated finds. This is a spring afternoon that needs no plan.
NJ Audubon Cape May Spring Festival
May 14–17 | 📍 Directions
The NJ Audubon Cape May Spring Festival draws guests who love starting the day outdoors and among nature. Guided birding walks, trolley rides, boat trips, and Shorebird Express outings fill the schedule as migration peaks. The 100-Bird Dash adds a friendly challenge, while presentations round out your afternoons. By morning coffee, stories are already circulating. Spots fill quickly, so plan ahead.
Exit Zero Jazz Festival
May 15–17 | 📍 Directions
The Exit Zero Jazz Festival gives us two chances each year to turn up the volume in town and enjoy layered rhythm and swing, spontaneous melodies, and more. It happens once in spring, then again in fall. Guests plan their days around the music, meeting musicians in some of the local jazz rooms. Guests and festival goers duck in and out of sets before heading out for dinner or a sunset walk.
Most performances now take place indoors at the Convention Hall, with smaller stages popping up at Taco Caballito Tequileria and both Carney’s rooms. It’s an easygoing, build-your-own kind of weekend, and it pairs naturally with staying right in town at our beautiful Carroll Villa Hotel.
The Gardens of Cape May Tour
May 16 | 📍 Directions
The Gardens of Cape May Tour is one of our favorite ways to see the town show off its beauty. Guests spend the day wandering tucked-away gardens, chatting with homeowners, and pausing to admire what’s in bloom. Each stop offers a new idea or detail worth bringing home. Many guests head home inspired and plotting what they’ll plant next.
Cape May Music Festival
May 9 – Jun 21 | 📍 Locations Vary
The Cape May Music Festival settles into town for an entire month, and we love how it weaves music into everyday moments. Guests plan mornings around Bach lunches, linger over jazz brunches, or head out in the evening for symphony concerts and brass band performances. The schedule makes it easy to choose your own pace. One concert or several, it all fits into a Cape May stay.
Spring Festivals in June
By June, spring eases toward summer, and the weekends take on a slightly more familiar rhythm.
West Cape May Strawberry Festival
Jun 6 (Rain Date Jun 7) | 📍 Directions
The West Cape May Strawberry Festival feels like a classic small-town day done deliciously right. We see guests wandering Wilbraham Park with strawberry shortcake in hand, pausing at craft booths, antique tables, and bakery tents along the way. Music drifts through the park, and conversations stretch longer. Nobody’s in a hurry. It’s sweet, nostalgic, and exactly how early summer should begin.
Cape May Restaurant Week
May 31 – Jun 7 | 📍 Locations Vary
Cape May Restaurant Week has a way of turning an ordinary Cape May weekend into a mini food getaway. Cape May Restaurant Week invites you to linger over three-course meals at some of our favorite restaurants in town, turning ordinary evenings into something a little more special. Reservations are part of the fun, and conversations last longer at the table. It happens in both spring and fall, which gives you two chances to savor every bite of this event.
Plan Your Spring Getaway Now
Yes, spring rolls into Cape May gently. Mornings feel easier, afternoons stretch longer, and the town invites you outside. It’s a great season to lace up for your first 5K race of the year, try something new, or build a weekend around the many spring festivals and events in Cape May.
Staying at Carroll Villa Hotel keeps you close to it all — the beach, downtown, golfing, all our historic places, trails, and our iconic on-site restaurant, Mad Batter, or its sister restaurant, The Cricket Club. Our rooms and suites have been delivering comfort to travelers since 1882, and it’s helped pioneer eco-tourism to the Jersey Shore. When you’re ready to start planning, we’re right here, fluffing the pillows, toasting local wine, and watching the waves ebb and flow.
Photo Credit: © neil bowman from Getty Images via canva.com,
© Daniel Constantinescu’s Images via canva.com, © Susanne Jutzeler, suju-foto from Pexels via canva.com
