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.

• This year, we' dancing up the sun on the European timetable, so it's actually Wednesday, April 30th from 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm, while our friends from Helsinki Morris (Finland), Eken Morris (Stockholm), and Jack the Rapper (Olso) bring up their sun.
'
• For more information email squire

• 5:30 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
, Vancouver, BC V6R 4G9
• 7:00 am - Off to breakfast and song at the Zen Cafe onYew Street.  (This year it's Sunday, so no off to work for them that must afterwards yay!).
• For more information email or

Gabriola Island, BC with   

Drumbegger Border Morris will be dancing the May this year for 1st time. Come out and support them! Be a part of history! 5:30 am - meet in the parking lot of Drumbeg Provincial Park (south end of Gabriola Island), process to hill top, dance up the sun and sing in the May. Afterwards, Group Breakfast then Gorilla dance outs around the island. For more information, email or call 250-247-7935

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

           


             Island Thyme Morris                                                                        Quicksbottom Morris         

Island Thyme dancing Skirmishes and in Eynsham 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, Sound and Fury Morris, The Mossyback Morris Men, and Misty City Morris

Portland, OR with Bridgetown Morris Men, Renegade Rose Morris, Wild Rose Garland

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

Eugene, OR with Two Rivers Morris

• Two Rivers Morris dances up the sun and continues throughout May Day! Join them and celebrate at the following venues (each performance will last about 1/2 an hour):
  • 5:30 am - the "Sun" bike-trail mile marker in Alton Baker Park
  • Breakfast with the team at a to-be-determined location!
  • 9:30 am - Kesey Square
  • 12:30 pm - Agrarian Ales, 31115 Crossroads Ln W, Eugene
• For more information, check the team Facebook page, or contact .

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 in the parking lot behind 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 at Wischemmann Hall (bring something to share).
  • 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 (at the sign for The Barlow), turn left/north onto Morris Street and park when the street turns left.
• Later that day....
  • 8:30 am - Sebastopol Farmers Market, Sebastopol Plaza
  • 1030 am - Church of the Incarnation, 550 Mendocino Ave, Santa Rosa, CA
  • 11:30 am - Russian River Brewing Company, 725 4th St., Santa Rosa
• 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
  	2016 May Day flyer

San Francisco, CA with

• Meet at Christmas Tree Point on Twin Peaks Blvd around 5:45 am, in the parking lot overlooking downtown, the East Bay and (in theory) the rising sun.
 Dancing starts around 6:00 am.
• There's likely more dancing during the day - details on their Facebook page.
• For EXACT directions and more information, email or call Heather at (510) 653-7507
  

Berkeley, CA with  

• 5:00 am - Gather at Inspiration Point, high up on Wildcat Canyon Road in Tilden Regional Park.  Dancing starts around 5:30 am., sunrise expected at 6:13 am.  Dress warmly!
• If you can't make it for sunrise, catch up with Berkeley the rest of the day:
  • 10:30 to 11:30 am - Tilden Park Nature Center / Little Farm (with Maypole dancing - participation encouraged, kids welcome)
  • 12:30 to 1:00 pm - Tilden Park Carousel
  • 1:30 to 2:00 pm - UC Berkely Botanical Garden, 200 Centennial Dr, Berkeley, CA
• For more information contact the

Palo Alto, CA with Deer Creek Morris Men, and Mad Molly 

• 5:30 am to 7:00 am - Meet at the Palo Alto Baylands (take Embarcadero East from the US-101 to the end of the road, turn left, go past the airport, bear right, past the Duck Pond and the Ranger Station and park in the first lot on the left (before crossing the river).
• Watch in entranced silence to the strains of the haunting Abbots Bromley Horn Dance
• Join in as everyone learns English Country or Morris dances for all.  Yes!   We actually teach these!
• Afterwards:
  • Mad Molly may perform at Stanford University and on University Avenue, Palo Alto.  Ask a team for confirmation at the Sun Up event.
  • Deer Creek may attend May Day at the Oakland Zoo.  Ask a team member for details.
• For more information contact:
• Deer Creek Morris Men: email squire
• Mad Molly: email or call 408-663-3487



See video excerpts of May Day past, care of Maryam Webster (disclaimer - some names of persons and dances in titles are inaccurate)

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

Santa Barbara, CA with Pacific Sword Company and the Bowler Boys

• 6:00 am  - pursuing our annual tradition of sleeping in.
• 10:30 am - Valle Verde Retirement Community, 900 Calle de los Amigos
• 12:00 pm - Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, 1212 Mission Canyon Rd.
• 1:30 pm - Pub lunch, location to be announced.  If you find us, stand us a round!
• 3:00 pm - Revels hosts its annual May Day celebration at Center Court of the Paseo Nuevo Shopping Center on State Street in downtown Santa Barbara.  There's lots of spectacle and audience participation:
  • Sing special Spring songs with Revels Songleader, Adam Phillips.
  • Learn seasonal dances.
  • Make flower garlads and nosegays.
  • Enjoy performance by Pacific Sword Company and the Revels Dancers.
  • Come join in the May Pole celebration and learn how to weave the ribbons 'round the pole.
• For more information, email .

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 Mount Soledad Cross on Soledad Park Road
• 6:30 am - Breakfast at Harry's Coffee Shop, 7545 Griard Ave, 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
  

Edmonton, AB with Edmonton Magpie Morris     

• 5:45 am Wilbert McIntyre Park at the covered gazebo in Strathcona beside the Farmers Market
• Dancing starts at sunrise, around 5:58 am.  Bring your own thermos - it can be quite chilly.  There will be a traditional sword fruit to share.  There is an offering of dried flowers and sometimes a small fire or candle lighting to recite a blessing for Spring.
• For more information, email the team or call +1-780-475-1826

Denver, CO with Breathless in Berthoud Border Morris and Maroon Bells 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!

See their 2016 May Day flyer

Phoenix, AZ with

Photo by Raven Kline

• Due to a tear in the space-time continuum because Arizona doesn't do daylight savings time, we actually dance up the sun on Friday night, May 2.  Go figure!
• 7:00 pm - We're (drinking and then) dancing at Phoenix's First Friday, staring at the The Lost Leaf (914 N 5th St), and then proceeding to dance in the surrounding blocks where the other First Friday events are.
• For more information (including directions), email or call 480-286-2122.

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

Bells of the North	Minnesota Traditional Morris
Ramsey's Braggarts	Uptown-On-Calhoun

Madison, WI with Oak Apple Morris

St. Louis, MO with and The Capering Roisters

• 7:30 am - dance in Arcade Park located approximately at 112th and Laurence Avenue in the Pullman neighborhood of Chicago.
• Participants are invivted to an early breakfast provided by the team.
• Ask about the all-inclusive Grecian Urn which involves any and all participants and spectators.
• For more information, email or call 773-297-6714

Burlington, VT with On the Border Morris    

• 5:30am - Meet at Camel's Hump overlook at St. Michaels' College, Route 15 in Colchester, VT
• For more information, email

Rockport, ME with Highland Mary

• Sunrise - meet at Beech Hill, Rockport (map), and continue to Rockland town landing
• For more information, email

Thetford, VT with Four Corners Morris, Green Mountain Morris, Maple Leaf Morris, Catamount Morris

• 5:30am to 7:00am - Dance up the sun at  the Thetford Village Green, Thetford Hill, VT (exit 14 from I-91).  Sometimes there's a Maypole as well.
  •  Breakfast usually follows at a Four Corners Morris member's house in South Strafford.  Details at the event itself.
  • This is Motley Morris at its best and anyone can participate.  Sometimes there are different sets of a dance, each one in a different tradition.
• For more information, email or call 802-672-1244.
  
  

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

Putney, VT with Putney Morris Men, and Putney Mountain Morris Women

 Toronto, ON Canada with Toronto Morris Men, Toronto Women's Sword, Orange Peel Morris, Green Fiddle Morris, Belles of York, Cold Barn Morris, Half Crown Clog, and others

Syracuse, NY with Heartwood Morris Dancers of Ithica, Bassett Street Hounds, Ribbonsteel Rapper, and Snowbelt Morris of Rochester, hosted by Thornden Morris

 

Marlboro, VT with Marlboro Morris and Sword, along with the Marlboro Morris Men, and Windham

Nelson, NH with Firebird and Jack in the Green

Albany, NY with Pokingbrook Morris Dancers

Great Barrington, MA with the

Amherst (area), MA with Juggler Meadow Morris Men, Johnny Jump Ups, Hart's Brook Garland, Marlboro Morris Men, Wake Robin Morris, Rapscallion Rapper, Stick'n the Mist Border Morris, And Sometimes Y Manx,Morris & Sword, and Guiding Star Clog Morris

Juggler Meadow Morris Men

Hart's Brook Garland Women

Wake Robin Morris

Rapscallion Rapper

And Sometimes Y

Boston, MA with Newtowne Morris Men and the Country Dance Society - Boston Center hosting Red Herring Morris, Pipe Dream Morris, Muddy River Morris, Banbury Cross Morris, Mulberry Morris, HopBrook Morris, Ha'Penny Morris, Commonwealth Morris Men, Great Meadows Morris, and associated other rapper sides.

 
 
Newtowne Morris Men                                   Red Herring                                   Pipe Dream Morris


           Muddy River                         Banbury Cross                                Ha'Penny Morris                   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.

Binghamton, NY with Binghamton Morris Men and B. F. Haridans

• After sleeping in, both teams will be dancing at the Binghamton's First Friday Art Walk.
• For more information, contact or call 607-723-1660.
  

Narragansett, RI with Ladies of the Rolling Pin     

The Ladies of the Rolling Pin is one of only a few all women's Border Morris dance teams. We have been stirring things up in Rhode Island since 1998 with just the right mix of leavening and levity. We never fail to get a rise out of audiences with a well-seasoned style, energy and music.

• 5:42 am - dance at dawn at Narragansett Town beach near the Towers, at 35 Ocean Road, Narragansett.  There's a lovely potluck breakfast after dancing.
• For more information, email or check out their Facebook page

See their 2016 May Day flyer

New London, CT with Westerly Morris Men

• 5:30 am - meet to dance at Connecticut College located on Route ew north of Route 95, in in New London, CT on the main college green (Tempel Green) in front of Blaustein Humanities Center
• For more information, email or see their flyer

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.
• For more information, email or call 203-776-1812
  
  

  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 the
  
  

  See Ring O' Bells on May Day 2006

New York City, NY with  Bouwerie Boys Morris Dancers

Princeton, NJ May Day Celebrations Organized for 30+ years by Millstone River Morris, with guests Stony Brook Morris, Handsome Molly, Mercer Maypole Dancers, Singers, & Padstow Hobby Horse Troupe

Pittsburgh, PA with
 

We'll be dancing at 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).  Incline starts at 5:30 a.m. if you want to ride up to the dance from Station Square (Incline information).

Approximate Schedule:

Philadelphia, PA with Kingsessing Morris and 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 10:00 am - Bryn Mawr College.  The whole morning is an extravaganza of May events for the students, including parade, Maypoles, hoop race, May Hole (feminist version) and more.
• 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm - Chestnut Hill Home and Garden Festival
• For more information, email squire or
   

See Kingsessing Morris do the dances Takking from May Day 2009 and Devils Highway from May Day 2010 Check out 3 generations of Renegade Morris doing Steamfitters from May Day 2011

Shepherdstown, WV with Hicks with Sticks Border     

Watch folks Wrapping the MayPole on McMurran Lawn in 2012 Beware the Padstow Horse from 2008

Frederick, MD with Foggy Bottom Morris Men hosting Rock Creek Morris Women, and and Charm City Sword

       

Bloomington, IN with

• 6:45 am - Continuing their 30 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.
• Come noonish we return to the Courthouse for more dancing and another maypole, then off to a private house party.
• For more information, contact or call 812-330-8975.
  

  Watch the team's 2009 May Day Winster processional

Louisville, KY with Angleterre Morris

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

Albemarle Morris Men

Berea, KY with Squash Beetle Morris

• 6:30am to 8:30am - in front of the Frost building on the Berea College campus (on Chestnut street, across the street from the president's house, which is clearly marked. There is a mid-block pedestrian crosswalk nearby (the only one).
  • Directions: there are a few parking spaces on the street right in front, but please keep those clear so people can see us dance from the street.  Park half a block back. If coming from afar, you can take exit 77 off I-75, take the immediate right to get on 595 toward Berea. after 1.5 miles, go straight through light at Ellipse, and up the hill. At the next light (in front of Papaleno's) follow the road to curve to the right. At the next light, go straight, you are now on Chestnut street, find parking here, the crosswalk and maypole are 1/4 block ahead, on the right.
  • Morris dancing starts at dawn.  There will be some English Country dances and a maypole for all to join in, and then serve hot breakfast for all.
• For more information, email Squash Beetle contact

Yorktown, VA with Druken Weasels Border Morris 

• Gather just before sunrise at Poley Point on the Colonial Parkway, Yorktown, VA to dance a bit and have some cake.  Less a performance than a guerilla dance out, the Weasels are up to no good! Wanna see it? Of course you do, so contact for further info, and check out their Facebook page.

Asheville, NC with Asheville Morris and Ashgrove Garland

Brasstown, NC with Dame's Rocket Northwest Clog, Rural Felicity Garland Dancers, and Sticks in the Mud Border Morris

Gainsville, FL with

• 06:45 am Sunrise - dancing, maypole, and Mayday Flower boat race at UF Baughman Center on Lake Alice next to the alligators.
• 08:30 am to 10:00 am - Peach Valley Cafe, 3275 SW 34 St, Gainsville
• 10:00 am to 11:30 am - Devil's Millhopper sinkhole, 4732 Millhopper Rd, Gainsville.  There's a pilgrimage to the bottom of the 120-foot deep sinkhole and dancing on the boardwalk at the bottom.
• For more information, check their Facebook page or email squire

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!