{"id":5192,"date":"2026-05-05T16:58:04","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T20:58:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/250.mercercountynj.gov\/visit\/?p=5192"},"modified":"2026-06-19T12:24:13","modified_gmt":"2026-06-19T16:24:13","slug":"may-2026-events-near-mercer-county","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/250.mercercountynj.gov\/visit\/may-2026-events-near-mercer-county\/","title":{"rendered":"Spring in the Garden State: Unmissable May 2026 Events Near Mercer County"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">May has officially arrived, and with it, the vibrant energy of spring has taken over Central Jersey. Whether you&#8217;re a fan of the arts, a history buff, or just looking for a way to get the family outdoors, the May 2026 calendar for the Mercer County area is packed with local favorites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">From the return of major festivals to intimate gallery talks, here are the top events you shouldn&#8217;t miss this month.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>1. The L.E.A.D. Fest State Fair (West Windsor)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>When:<\/strong>&nbsp;Throughout May 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"p-rc_f578d8b29f95229f-52\"><strong>Where:<\/strong>&nbsp;Mercer County Park Festival Grounds<sup><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"p-rc_f578d8b29f95229f-53\">The L.E.A.D. Fest State Fair is back for its annual run, bringing classic carnival vibes to the heart of West Windsor. This is the ultimate &#8220;state fair&#8221; experience right in our backyard\u2014think Ferris wheels, live shows, and every kind of fried fair food you can imagine.&nbsp;It\u2019s a major fundraiser for Law Enforcement Against Drugs, so your fun supports a great cause.<sup><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>2. Mercer County Teen Arts Festival (West Windsor)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"p-rc_f578d8b29f95229f-54\"><strong>When:<\/strong>&nbsp;May 8, 2026<sup><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Where:<\/strong>&nbsp;Mercer County Community College<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Witness the next generation of New Jersey talent! This festival is a massive showcase of teen-made art, featuring live musical performances, theatre snippets, and gallery exhibits from middle and high schoolers across the county. It\u2019s a high-energy day that\u2019s open to the public and perfect for anyone who loves supporting local creative youth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>3. &#8220;Mrs.&nbsp;Christie&#8221; at McCarter Theatre (Princeton)<\/strong><sup><\/sup><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>When:<\/strong>&nbsp;Various dates through May 15, 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"p-rc_f578d8b29f95229f-55\"><strong>Where:<\/strong>&nbsp;McCarter Theatre Center<sup><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For those who enjoy a bit of mystery and meta-theatre, don\u2019t miss the run of&nbsp;<em>Mrs. Christie<\/em>. This play explores the real-life 11-day disappearance of Agatha Christie in 1926. It\u2019s a clever, witty production that has been a highlight of the spring theatre season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>4. Mother\u2019s Day Weekend at the Vineyards (Various)<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>When:<\/strong>&nbsp;May 9\u201310, 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\" id=\"p-rc_f578d8b29f95229f-56\"><strong>Where:<\/strong>&nbsp;Terhune Orchards &amp; Unionville Vineyards<sup><\/sup><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Celebrate Mom with a glass of local wine!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Terhune Orchards<\/strong>&nbsp;is hosting a &#8220;Mother\u2019s Day Planting Make \u2018n Take&#8221; on May 9th, where kids can help plant a pot for Mom.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Unionville Vineyards<\/strong>&nbsp;is celebrating with the release of their&nbsp;<em>Hunterdon Mistral<\/em>&nbsp;wine all weekend, complete with live music and vineyard tours.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>5.&nbsp;Revolution Up Close: Historical Living History (Trenton &amp; Washington Crossing)<\/strong><sup><\/sup><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>When:<\/strong>&nbsp;May 9 &amp; May 24, 2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Where:<\/strong>&nbsp;Old Barracks Museum &amp; Washington Crossing Historic Park<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">History comes alive this month with two major events:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>May 9:<\/strong>&nbsp;Head to Washington Crossing for &#8220;Soldier Saturdays,&#8221; focusing on the maritime services and Continental Marines of the American Revolution.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>May 24:<\/strong>&nbsp;Join the annual&nbsp;<strong>Memorial Day Ceremony<\/strong>&nbsp;at the Revolutionary War Soldiers\u2019 Gravesite behind the Thompson-Neely House for a somber and beautiful colonial-style observance.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Bonus: Quick Hits &amp; Nature Walks<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Candlelight Concerts (Trenton):<\/strong>&nbsp;Catch &#8220;90s Hip-Hop on Strings&#8221; at the Historic Trenton Masonic Temple on&nbsp;<strong>May 16<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Neighbor Day at Spring Lake (Hamilton):<\/strong>&nbsp;A community favorite at Roebling Park on&nbsp;<strong>May 17<\/strong>, featuring eco-friendly art projects and nature walks.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Storytime on the Green (Princeton):<\/strong>&nbsp;Every Saturday morning at 10:00 AM on the Palmer Square Green\u2014perfect for those with toddlers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Plan Your May:<\/strong>&nbsp;Many of these events (especially the State Fair and McCarter Theatre shows) recommend buying tickets in advance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-large-font-size wp-block-paragraph\" style=\"font-style:normal;font-weight:400\"><a href=\"https:\/\/250.mercercountynj.gov\/visit\/community-events\/\" data-type=\"page\" data-id=\"55\">Click here to see more events on our events calendar<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>May has officially arrived, and with it, the vibrant energy of spring has taken over Central Jersey. Whether you&#8217;re a fan of the arts, a history buff, or just looking for a way to get the family outdoors, the May 2026 calendar for the Mercer County area is packed with local favorites. From the return [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":3886,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[55],"class_list":["post-5192","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-ideas"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/250.mercercountynj.gov\/visit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5192","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/250.mercercountynj.gov\/visit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/250.mercercountynj.gov\/visit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/250.mercercountynj.gov\/visit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/250.mercercountynj.gov\/visit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5192"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/250.mercercountynj.gov\/visit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5192\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7142,"href":"https:\/\/250.mercercountynj.gov\/visit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5192\/revisions\/7142"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/250.mercercountynj.gov\/visit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3886"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/250.mercercountynj.gov\/visit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5192"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/250.mercercountynj.gov\/visit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5192"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/250.mercercountynj.gov\/visit\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5192"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}