15 Things to Look Forward to in the Midwest This May
May in the Midwest is the payoff we’ve been negotiating for since January. After months of gray skies, unpredictable cold snaps, and layers that never quite seem like enough, May arrives and makes it all worth it. The trees fill in, the windows finally stay open, and everything feels a little lighter. It is the month that reminds you why you live here. Here are 15 reasons to get excited about May in the Midwest.
In this Article
- The Devil Wears Prada 2 Opens in Theaters
- Grilling Season Is Back
- Farmers Markets Return
- Mother’s Day
- Everything Is Finally Blooming
- Patio Season Begins
- The Indianapolis 500
- The Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio
- Planting Weekend
- National BBQ Month
- Memorial Day Parades
- The Long Weekend
- Baseball Season in Full Swing
- The Windows Stay Open
- May Itself
1. The Devil Wears Prada 2 Opens in Theaters
May 1 kicks off the month with one of the most anticipated movies in years. Nearly two decades after the original, Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci are all back, and the internet has been buzzing since the trailer dropped and broke records. The story follows Andy returning to Runway as Miranda navigates a changing media landscape, which feels like the perfect setup for a sequel. Plan ahead because this one is worth seeing on opening weekend with your best friends, your mom, or honestly just yourself with a large popcorn.
2. Grilling Season Is Back
There is a specific kind of joy that comes with lighting the grill for the first time in months. It is not just about the food, although the food is very much part of it. It is about being outside, smelling charcoal smoke in the evening air, and realizing that the long indoor season is officially over. Whether you are a charcoal loyalist or a gas grill person, May is when this debate comes back to life like it was never settled to begin with. If you are looking to upgrade your setup this season, check out Ina Garten’s favorite grilling essentials to get you started.
3. Farmers Markets Return
Across the Midwest, farmers markets come back to life in May, and they are worth building a Saturday around. Even in the early weeks when the offerings are still skewing toward seedlings, greens, and fresh bread, the energy is different from a grocery store run. Local honey, handmade goods, and flowers you did not know you needed until they were suddenly in your hands. If you want to make the most of what you bring home, May is a great time to start cooking with whatever looks freshest and most interesting at the market.
4. Mother’s Day
Mother’s Day falls on May 10 this year, and in the Midwest, we take it seriously. It might look like a big family brunch, a long phone call with your mom across the state, or a quiet morning letting someone else sleep in. Whatever the tradition in your house, May gives us this built-in reminder to slow down and say thank you. If you are looking for a gift that feels personal without being complicated, a farmers market bouquet, a bakery order from a local spot, or a meal you make entirely yourself goes a long way. It is rarely about the gift and almost always about the effort.
5. Everything Is Finally Blooming
May is when the Midwest earns its reputation for natural beauty. Lilacs bloom in abundance across the region, tulips peak in the first few weeks, and redbud and dogwood trees bring color to neighborhoods that have been bare since October. If you have been waiting for a reason to get outside, this is the least convincing excuse you will need. It is also a good time to think about what you want to plant or add to your yard before the summer heat sets in. Check out our seasonal living guide for more ways to lean into each time of year.
6. Patio Season Begins
The return of patio season is not a small thing here. After a winter spent eating indoors, sitting outside with a drink and a good meal feels like a real treat. Midwestern restaurant patios fill up fast in May, so it is worth making a reservation at a spot you have been wanting to try. Better yet, host your own! A string of lights, a warm evening, and good company is all you really need.
7. The Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500 on May 24 is one of the most iconic sporting events in the country, and in the Midwest, it carries a particular kind of pride. The entire month of May at Indianapolis Motor Speedway has its own tradition, with practice laps, qualifying weekends, and then race day itself. Whether you watch every year or just tune in for the spectacle, there is something about race day that feels like a proper Midwestern holiday. The pageantry, the Snake Pit concert, the moment they say “Drivers, start your engines.” It earns its spot on the calendar every single year.
8. The Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio
If golf is more your pace, the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday returns to Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, with tournament rounds beginning May 28. Founded and hosted by Jack Nicklaus, this event draws a world-class field to Central Ohio every year and is as much a community celebration as it is a golf tournament. If you have never been, it is worth making the trip. The grounds are well kept, the atmosphere is relaxed and festive, and you are watching some of the best golfers in the world up close.
9. Planting Weekend
Across the Midwest, there is an unofficial holiday sometime in mid-to-late May when it is finally safe to plant. The last frost date passes, the soil warms up, and everyone descends on their local nursery at the same time. Whether you are working on a full vegetable garden, a few pots of tomatoes on the back porch, or just window boxes of something colorful, planting weekend has a specific satisfaction to it. You are officially optimistic about summer, whether your plants cooperate or not.
10. National BBQ Month
May is National BBQ Month, and the Midwest takes this personally. From Kansas City–style ribs with their smoky, molasses-forward sauce to the backyard traditions of Indiana and Ohio, this region has real range when it comes to barbecue. National BBQ Month is a good excuse to try a new recipe, visit a local spot you have been meaning to get to, or fire up the smoker on a weekend afternoon. If you need a crowd-pleasing addition to your spread, our French onion baked brie works just as well at an outdoor cookout as it does at a game day party.
11. Memorial Day Parades
Small-town Memorial Day parades are a specific Midwestern experience, and they are worth seeking out if you have never been to one. Fire trucks, local marching bands, veterans in uniform, kids lining the streets with little flags. It is sincere in the best way. Many towns across Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, and beyond hold parades on May 25 that have been running for generations. It is a tradition that is easy to take for granted and worth showing up for.
12. The Long Weekend
Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of summer, and in the Midwest, we treat it accordingly. It is long-weekend getaway season: a drive to a lake house, an overnight at a state park, a camping trip that was loosely planned in March and is somehow actually happening. Even a three-day weekend that stays close to home has a different energy when the weather is warm and there is nowhere you have to be. It is the first real exhale of the season.
13. Baseball Season in Full Swing
By May, baseball has settled into its rhythm, and there is no better place to enjoy a game than a Midwestern ballpark on a warm evening. Whether you are a Cubs or White Sox fan, rooting for the Reds or the Tigers, or heading to a minor league park for a more low-key night out, May games hit differently than opening day. The weather is right, the crowd is relaxed, and the whole thing feels like summer is actually here. It is one of those seasonal traditions that is just better when you make a point to do it.
Bonus: What’s New on the Menu
Ballpark food has officially entered its experimental era, and Midwest teams are going all in. At Comerica Park, you can grab pierogi nachos that nod to the city’s Eastern European roots, while Chicago’s Wrigley Field is serving up a sweet-and-savory chicken and churros combo. In Cincinnati, Great American Ball Park might win the dessert game outright with its Double Play Donut Parfait—twelve cinnamon sugar donuts layered with banana pudding, vanilla wafers, cereal, whipped cream, and caramel. And in Kansas City at Kauffman Stadium, things get even wilder with a foot-long Hot Dog Wellington, short rib corn dogs with truffle mac and cheese, s’mores quesadillas, and even a tiramisu served in a souvenir helmet. It’s not just a meal anymore—it’s part of the experience.
14. The Windows Stay Open
This one is simple and worth celebrating. By mid-May in the Midwest, you can open the windows in the morning and leave them open all day. You get birdsong with your coffee, a breeze through the house in the afternoon, the smell of someone grilling a few streets over around dinnertime. After months of sealed-up, heated air, it is one of the best—and most underrated—feelings of the year. If freshening up your space for spring is on your list, we have some ideas in our quick cleaning checklist.
15. May Itself
There is a real case to be made that May is the best month in the Midwest. Spring is fully underway but summer heat has not arrived yet. Evenings are long and cool. The world is that bright green that only lasts for a few weeks. It is easy to move through May quickly without noticing it, so this is a small reminder to look up and take it in while it is here, before it slips into summer.
Wrap-Up
May earns everything the Midwest has been waiting for. After a long winter and a slow spring, it delivers: warm evenings, open windows, the smell of something good on the grill, and enough reasons to get outside and enjoy it. Whether you are heading to Dublin for tournament week, watching The Devil Wears Prada 2 on opening night, or just planting something in the backyard, May makes the Midwest feel like the best place to be.
