May festivals in Merced CA and the Mother Lode set for 2026

May comes with some popular spring festivals and celebrations in the greater Merced and Mother Lode regions.

The month’s promise of sunshine and warmer temperatures just brings out the best, it seems.

There are a host of festivals and events planned for May celebrating cultures, food, music, beer, apricots and – yes – even frogs.

Here’s a look at just some of what’s set:

MERCED CINCO DE MAYO – May 3: The Grand Cinco de Mayo Festival Rodeo Dance is an all-ages event to celebrate the holiday. There will be live music by Roberto Tapia, Kanales, Los Cuates de Sinaloa, Banda Zeta and Banda Zarape. A Mexican rodeo and dance also are planned. 2 p.m. Merced County Fairgrounds, 900 Martin Luther King Jr Way, Merced. $23.57 at tickeri.com.

PLANADA COMMUNITY DAY CELEBRATION – May 9: Vendors, music, barbecue and more. A parade is set to open the event at 10 a.m. The celebration ends at 3 p.m. Houlihan Park, 9167 Stanford Ave., Planada. www.facebook.com/events/houlihan-park/planada-community-day-2026/1548118029974311.

CENTRAL VALLEY BREWFEST – May 9: More than 150 brews to sample, along with art and music. There will be a VIP wine sampling tent from noon-1 p.m. Must be 21 or older to attend the festival, which runs 1-5 p.m. Stanislaus County Fairground, 900 N. Broadway, Turlock. $45 in advance, $55 at the door, if still available; VIP tickets $65, advance only. Designated-driver tickets $30 in advance, $35 at the door. www.cvbrewfest.com.

MOTHER LODE ROUNDUP – May 9-10: Parade and rodeos sponsored by the Tuolumne County Sheriff’s Posse. Parade Saturday at 10 a.m. along Washington Street in Sonora. Saturday and Sunday rodeos at the Mother Lode Fairgrounds, 220 Southgate Drive, Sonora. Rodeo tickets $28.49; $11.40 ages 4-12. www.motherloderoundup.com.

COLUMBIA DIGGINS 1852 – May 14-17: Columbia State Historic Park’s annual living-history event features more than 150 costumed volunteers. Visitors experience an 1852 mining camp re-created with period clothing and activities. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. daily. $10, free for ages 17 and under. Diggins Tent Town (near the main parking lot). www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=24249.

CALAVERAS COUNTY FAIR AND JUMPING FROG JUBILEE – May 14-17: Frogs will hop again at this annual fest, which also offers a carnival, food, entertainment, rodeo, destruction derby, livestock, vendors and more. Festival hours 8 a.m.-11 p.m. Thursday; 8 a.m.-midnight Friday-Saturday; 7 a.m.-11 p.m. Sunday. Calaveras County Fairgrounds, 2465 Gun Club Road, Angels Camp. $13-$18. www.frogtown.org.

DOWNTOWN MERCED LAO NEW YEAR CELEBRATION – May 16: A parade will be held at 1:30 p.m. There also will be live music, food, vendors and cultural performances throughout the day. 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Bob Hart Square, 514 W Main St., Merced. Free www.facebook.com/events/235-w-main-st-merced-ca-95340-4932-united-states/downtown-merced-lao-new-year-celebration-2026/1339982491175690.

MERCED ART FESTIVAL WEEK – May 18-25: A weeklong celebration of art, culture and community with large-scale murals, immersive art installations, live painting and artist demonstrations, panel discussions, live music, vendors, food and more. Hours vary. Downtown Merced. www.instagram.com/p/DWICcfvgf60.

CASTLE AIR MUSEUM SPRING OPEN COCKPIT DAY – May 23: The former Air Force base will provide an up-close look at old military aircraft, including a newly restored B-52 Stratofortress. The semiannual event also features food vendors, a beer garden, demonstrations by emergency agencies and more. 8:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Castle Air Museum, 5050 Santa Fe Drive, Atwater. $25 general admission, $20 seniors and active or retired military, $15 ages 6-17, free to ages 5 and under. www.castleairmuseum.org.

LE GRAND COMMUNITY DAY – May 23: A parade with the theme “Pioneering to Freedom” will be held on Jefferson Street beginning at 10 a.m. Art and flower show 11 a.m.-2 p.m. in the Community Services Building. Barbecue noon-2 p.m. Event 10 a.m.-2 p.m. www.facebook.com/events/3314627602021991/?ref_source=NEWS_FEED.

ARNOLD PEDDLERS FAIRE – May 23-24: The Mother Lode community fair returns with vendors, art, lawn games and more. The Ebbetts Pass Fire Department will sell locally brewed beer. 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Free. Bristol’s Café parking lot, 961 Highway 4, Arnold. gocalaveras.com/events/46th-annual-arnold-spring-peddlers-faire.

PATTERSON APRICOT FIESTA – May 29-31: The annual celebration includes entertainment, food and beer booths, a parade at 10 a.m. Saturday, craft and commercial vendors, a kids area, an arm-wrestling tournament, a cornhole tournament, a car show and fireworks. Festival hours to be determined. Downtown Patterson. Free. apricotfiesta.com.