Note: Sunrise and event starting times can vary significantly depending on location or weather.  You may need to reach a specific team's contact (squire) directly to find out more about the local schedule.

Anchorage, AK with Rant and Raven Morris
Up here, no one wants to dance up the sun.  At 6:00 am it's way too cold, so we sleep in and THEN dance!  The sun does not officially rise until after the team squire comes out of hibernation, and given her name, we'll STILL dancing up the Dawn.

• 9:00 am to 9:30 am - Resolution Park, Captain Cook Statue, 3rd Ave.  The Park is near where 3rd Ave rounds the corner and becomes L Street, with several tiers of decking.  Park on one of the side streets.
• 10:00 am-ish - Pancake break at Karin's Cabin for current and past team members.  If conditions are just right, the breakfast coma may be followed by spontaneous more Morris dancing.
• For more information email squire

• 5:30 am - 7:00 am Vancouver Morris Men and Tiddley Cove Morris dance up the dawn at Sparrow Fart in Trimble Park (Trimble St and W 8th Ave) in West Point Grey
• Activities include the Helston Flora dance, and an audience circle dance at the end.
• 7:00 am - Off to breakfast, then to work for them that must.
• For more information email or

Victoria with Hollytree Morris, Island Thyme Morris, and Quicksbottom Morris

                      
 Island Thme Morris                                                                                                    Quicksbottom Morris         

Island Thyme dancing Skirmishes Quicksbottom dancing Duntze Head or Drowsy Maggie

Bowen Island, BC, Canada with Black Sheep Morris Dancers

Watch Bowen TV for footage of our 2008 May Day

Seattle, WA with North by North West Morris, and Sound and Fury Morris

Portland, OR with Bridgetown Morris Men, Iron Mountain Sword, Renegade Rose Morris, Wild Rose Garland, Two Rivers Morris, and Raven's Magic

Bridgetown Morris Men performing Abbotts Bromley or White Ladies Aston Renegade Rose Morris dancing The Idiot or Weavers March

Sebastopol, CA with

• 5:30 am - Come help Apple Tree Morris celebrate the beauty of Spring in Sonoma County as we dance up the sun on May Day at the Teen Garden Labyrinth next door to the Sebastopol Community Center Youth Annex, 425 Morris Street, in Sebastopol.  The dancing goes through sunrise and a little bit more (around 6:20 am), and then you are welcome to join us for a potluck breakfast at 7:00 am nearby.
• There will be morris dancing to watch and country dances everyone can do, as well as wonderful music and singing. We'd love it if you'd join us for this celebration!  Dress warmly, since it tends to be chilly before dawn, and you may want a lawn chair or blanket to sit on.
• Directions:
  • From Santa Rosa and points east: Get onto Highway 12 around Sebastopol.  Turn right/north at the light onto Morris Street, and park when the street turns left.
  • From Sebastopol: Get onto Highway 12 heading towards Santa Rosa, and at the first light outside of town (near Bradley Video), turn left/north onto Morris Street and park when the street turns left.
• More Dancing throughout the day:
  • 9:00 am - Sebastopol Independent Charter School, 200 South Main
  • 10:00 am - Cotati Elementary School (call for directions)
  • 11:00 am - Apple Tree joins the Buddha's Birthday Pageant at Green Gulch Farm en route to Muir Beach with dancing, a Maypole and giant puppets!
  • 12:00 am - Revels May Day at the Pelican Inn, 10 Pacific Way, Muir Beach, joining up with the Deer Creek Morris Men. 
• For more information, email or call 707-823-6925
  
  

  	Apple Tree Morris dancing Grenadiers or Speed the Plough
  	California Revels May Day, 2009 with Apple Tree Morris and Deer Creek Morris Men

San Francisco, CA with Goat Hill Morris

• Meet at the top of Twin Peaks around 5:45 am, in the parking lot overlooking downtown, the East Bay and (in theory) the rising sun.
• For EXACT directions and more information, email or call Jocelyn at (415) 731-7104
   

Berkeley, CA with  

• 5:05 am to 7:00 am - Meet at Inspiration Point, high up on Wildcat Canyon Road in Tilden Park.  Check out the directions or see the Yahoo map.  Abbot's Bromley Horn Dance at 5:20 am, sunrise expected at 6:13 am.
• 7:15 am to 9:00 am - private potluck breakfast for the team
• 9:15 am to 11:15am - The Little Farm at Tilden Park.
  • 9:15 am to 9:45 am - Maypole setup
  • 9:45 am to 10:15 am - Morris dancing
  • 10:15 am to 10:45 - Maypole dancing
  • 10:45 am to 11:15 - Maypole breakdown
• 11:50 am to 12:45pm - Albany Arts & Green Festival at Memorial Park, 1325 Portland Ave, Albany
• 1:15pm to 2:00 pm - U.C. Botanical Gardens, 200 Centennial Drive, Berkeley.  Bring change or dollar bills for parking. Dancing starts at 1:30 pm
• For more information contact the

Palo Alto, CA with Dark Energy Morris & Sword, Deer Creek Morris Men, and Mad Molly

Santa Cruz, CA with Seabright Morris and Sword and White Rats Morris

Santa Barbara, CA with Pacific Sword Company and the Morris Men
 

• 6:00 am to noon - pursuing our annual tradition of sleeping in.
• Noon to 1:00pm - In front of the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History, 2559 Puesta del Sol, above Mission Santa Barbara (you can show up shortly before noon and there's plenty of parking in the museum lot).  The Revels Song Leader will be teaching and leading Spring songs (sheet music and musicians provided); the Pacific Sword Company will perform a longsword dance; the Revels Morris Men will teach a Country Dance; there will be a ribboned Maypole and instructions on how to dance round it.  Everyone is invited.
• For more information, email or call 805-565-9357.

Los Angeles, CA with Rising Phoenix Morris     

San Diego, CA with   

• Meet us before dawn at the top of Mount Soledad Park in La Jolla.  Arrive early to hike up the hill.
• 5:45 am - Dance up the sun on Soledad Mountain
• 6:30 am - Breakfast at Harry's in La Jolla
• Locations/Directions (directions are progressive):
  • Mira Mesa and I15: Take I15 South to SR163.  Keep Right on to SR163.  Take the SR52 exit to go West.  Go straight over I5 onto La Jolla Parkway.  Turn Left at the Torrey Pines Road Intersection.  Go up Hidden Valley Road until it T's into Via Capri.  Turn Right onto Via Capri.  Wind up the mountain until that T's into Soledad Road and La Jolla Scenic Drive.  Turn left onto Soledad Road and drive through the gate, if it is open, or park if it is not.
  • Soledad Mountain (From I5): Take Garnet West to Soledad Mountain Road. Turn Right/North on Soledad Mountain Road and go till it ends in a T. Turn Right onto La Jolla Scenic Drive. Drive into the Soledad Natural Park and look for morris dancers.
  • To Harry's - (from Soledad Mountain): From the park head back down Via Capri La Jolla Parkway and Torrey Pines Road.  Go West on Torrey Pines Road, Left on Girard at the Von's.  Harry's should be right there on your left (across from the Von's Parking lot).
• For more information, email squire or call 619-602-0755
  

Denver, CO with Breathless in Berthoud Border Morris, Maroon Bells Morris and Tommyknockers Children's Morris

Come see these free performances from almost the only morris dancers in the Rocky Mountain Time Zone!  You can thank us now - we dance so you don't have to!

Tempe, AZ with

• 5:00 am to 7:00 am - Come to the amphitheatre on the lake in Kiwanis Park, Tempe, Arizona, specifically at the amphitheatre on the lake.  Coffee, pastries, and fruit will be provided.
• For more information (including directions), email squire or call 480-286-2122.

Minneapolis, MN with Bells of the North, Gypsies, Minnesota Traditional Morris, Northern Lights, Ramsey's Braggarts, and Uptown-On-Calhoun

St. Louis, MO with River Rats and The Capering Roisters

Bloomington, IN with

• 6:45 am - Continuing their 25 plus-year tradition, Bloomington Quarry Morris dances at sunrise at the Monroe County Courthouse in Bloomington's central square, 100 West Kirkwood Avenue.
• Afterwards is a team breakfast in a secret location disclosed only to the inner cadre of the team.
• Sometime afterwards - a couple of performances at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 2120 North Fee Lane, along with a maypole dance with the kids there (contact us for specifics if you're interested).
• Come noonish and we return to the Courthouse for more dancing and another maypole, then off to a private house party.
• You can also see us on Monday, May 2nd during our schools tour:
  • 9:00 am - University School, 1111 North Russell Road
  • 10:00 am - Binford Elementary, 2300 East 2nd Street
  • 11:00 am - Harmony School, 909 East 2nd Street
• For more information, contact or call 812-330-8975.
   

  Watch the team's 2009 May Day Winster processional

Toronto, ON Canada with Toronto Women's Sword and others

• 6:00 am - performance with a few other teams in the Toronto Area at High Park, across from the Grenadier restaurant.  TWS usually performs a longsword and a rapper dance with 5,6 or 7 dancers
• Afterwards, head back to the house of a member of one of the teams for a pot-luck breakfast.
• There is street dancing for the rest of the day, usually loosely organized at the breakfast.  For more information, email

Pittsburgh, PA with

For the 3rd year in a row, we'll be dancing at dawn (yes, dawn!) at the outlook closest to the top of Monongahela Incline.  Join us to watch the beautiful view of the sunrise from the bluffs of Mount Washington as we welcome in the spring!  Participate in the singing and maypole dancing.  Parking is available at the top of the incline (both on-street, or in the nearby paid lot at Shiloh and Virginia). Unfortunately on Sundays the Incline doesn't start until 8:45 a.m., so you'll have to get to the top without it. (Incline Information.)

Norwich, VT with Green Meadow Morris, Maple Leaf Morris and Four Corners Morris

• 5:30am - Dance up the sun at Thetford Green, Thetford Hill, VT.  Sometimes there's a Maypole as well.
• For more information, email
  
  

  Watch Maple Tree as the sun peeks over the horizon on May Day 2010

Syracuse, NY with Heartwood Morris Dancers, Bassett Street Hounds, Ribbonsteel Rapper, and Wild Blue Morris, hosted by Thornden Morris

Nelson, NH with Harrisville Morris Women and Jack in the Green

Albany, NY with Pokingbrook Morris Dancers

Great Barrington, MA with the

Amherst (area), MA with Juggler Meadow Morris Men, Hart's Brook Garland, Marlboro Morris Men, Wake Robin Morris, Rapscallion Rapper

                                                                                                                   Wake Robin Morris                                    Rapscallion Rapper

Boston, MA with Newtowne Morris Men hosting Red Herring Morris, Muddy River Morris, Banbury Cross Morris, Mulberry Morris, HopBrook Morris, Ha'Penny Morris, Commonwealth Morris Men, Great Meadows Morris, Clownfish Rapper, and associated other rapper sides.

 

Newtone Morris Men                                    Red Herring                                         Muddy River                                        Banbury Cross

 
    Ha'Penny Morris                         Commonwealth Morris Men                                Great Meadows Morris

This May Day celebration has been annually going on since 1973.  It may be the oldest continuing May Day celebration in the USA.

Narragansett, RI with Ladies of the Rolling Pin     

• 5:40 am - dance at dawn at Narragansett Town beach near the Towers.  There's a lovely potluck breakfast after dancing.
• 1:00 pm - dancing at the Fairy Festival at Blithewold Gardens and Mansion
• For more information, email

New London, CT with Westerly Morris Men

• 5:30 am - dance on the Connecticut College campus in New London, CT
• For more information, email

New Haven, CT with New Haven Morris and Sword

• 5:40 am to 6:45 am - Edgerton Park in New Haven, corner of Whitney Avenue and Cliff Street.  If that entrance is closed, try the gate on Edgehill Road opposite Edgehill Terrace.  We dance on the Great Lawn in the center of the park.
• We plan to dance at midday on Cross Campus at Yale, in front of Sterling Library.
• For more information, email squire
  
  

  Check out our 2008 ale video

Brooklyn, NY with Ring O'Bells 

The May Pole is an all-inclusive, multi-generational event.  All are welcome.

• 5:45 am - Nellie's Lawn in Prospect Park (meet at the Grand Army Plaza entrance to the park).
• 6:00 am - Maypole time - dig the hole, get the pole, make the ribbons!
• 6:45 am - Grab a ribbon and join the dance.  People are invited to bring a short reading on a spring theme (baby animals has been a traditional mention) if they would like to read something aloud after the May Pole dance.
• 7:15 am - Potluck picnic breakfast and Morris dancing.
• For more information, email then
  
  

  See Ring O'Bells on May Day 2006

New York City, NY with Bouwerie Boys Morris Dancers

Princeton, NJ with Millstone River Morris, Stony Brook Morris, Handsome Molly, Griggstown Lock, and Mercer Maypole Dancers

Philadelphia, PA with Kingsessing Morris and possible guest Renegade Morris

 

• 6:00 am to 7:00 am (or more) - dancing at dawn on top of Belmont Plateau, Fairmount Park, 2000 Belmont Mansion Dr, rain or shine,with a likely appearance by Renegade Morris and a possible sword team or two.
• 9:00 am to 9:45 am – Bryn Mawr College near the maypoles.  This will be the 33rd consecutive year dancing at Bryn Mawr.
• For more information, email squire
   

See Kingsessing Morris do the dances Takking from May Day 2009 and Devils Highway from May Day 2010 Now check out Renegade Morris doing a maypole dance at Bryn Mawr, 2007

Washington, DC with Foggy Bottom Morris Men hosting Rock Creek Morris Women, Arlington Northwest Morris Women, Dread Pirate Rapper, and Cutting Edge Sword

       

Charlottesville, VA with Kalidescope Rapper and Albemarle Morris Men (with a possible guest appearance by Underground Morris)

Albemarle Morris Men

Yorktown, VA with Flying Bark Morris

• Sunrise at Felgate's Creek, Yorktown VA (on the Colonial Parkway)
• For more information, email

Asheville, NC with Asheville Morris Men and Ashgrove Garland

Gainsville, FL with

  Check out our May Day Tour map

• 06:45 am Sunrise - dancing, maypole, and Mayday Flower boat race at Baughman Center on UF's Lake Alice next to the alligators  (placemark A on the map).
• 08:00 am to 09:00 am - Grandy's Restaurant, (placemark B on the map).
• 09:30 am to 10:30 am - Devil's Millhopper sinkhole, pilgrimage to the bottom of the 120-foot deep sinkhole and dancing on the boardwalk at the bottom (placemark C on the map).
• For more information, email squire

What IS Morris Dancing?

Morris dancing is a living tradition of English celebratory and ritual dance with live music, and origins shrouded in mystery and the mists of time.   Shakespeare used it in his plays and it was old then.  The dancers usually wear bells at their knees and often wave hankies (to attract and welcome benevolent spring and summer spirits) or clash sticks (symbolizing the eternal battle between winter and summer), and the dances have traditionally been performed around the time of major celebration or seasonal cross points in the calendar.  Indeed, dances of comparable form and dancers in similar costumes are found elsewhere in Europe and around the world, and may be thought to be part of the universal urge to influence and honor the unknowable forces which govern our lives.

One of the most colourful descriptions of morris was provided in the 15th century, by Edmund, Duke of Edinburgh, the Black Adder who said, "Morris dancing is the most fatuous, tenth-rate entertainment ever devised by man.  Fourty effeminate blacksmiths waving bits of cloth they've just wiped their noses on.  How it's still going on in this day and age I'll never know."

Modern morris includes several different types of dance, all from different regions of England; Cotswold Morris from the south, Border Morris from the west, Molly Dancing from the southeast, and Northwest Morris from the northwest.  Other dance styles such as Longsword, Rapper (sword), Clog, and Garland are often included in the term "morris".

There are lots of ways to get more detail about Morris dancing, but the absolutely best way is to find a morris dancer, take them to a pub, offer them refreshment, and ask for the real story.  It's guaranteed good luck, too!