FIND A MAYDAY CELEBRATION NEAR YOU

Locations by timezone Select a location Pacific time zone - Vancouver, BC Canada - Gabriola Island, BC Canada - Victoria, BC Canada - Bowen Island, BC Canada - Seattle, WA - Portland, OR - Eugene, OR - Sebastopol, CA - San Francisco, CA - Berkeley, CA - Palo Alto, CA - Santa Cruz, CA - Los Angeles, CA - San Diego ,CA Mountain time zone - Edmonton, AB - Denver, CO - Phoenix, AZ Central time zone - Omaha, NE - Minneapolis, MN - Madison, WI - St. Louis, MO - Chicago, IL EasternZone - Burlington, VT - Rockport, ME - Thetford, VT - Putney, VT - Toronto, ON Canada - Syracuse, NY - Marlboro, VT - Nelson, NH - Albany, NY - Great Barrington, MA - Grand Rapids, MI Chesterfield, MA - Amherst, MA - Boston, MA - Binghamton, NY - Narragansett, RI - New London, CT - New Haven, CT - Brooklyn, NY - New York City, NY - Princeton, NJ - Philadelphia, PA - Shepherdstown, WV - Frederick, MD - Bloomington, IN - Louisville, KY - Charlottesville, VA - Yorktown, VA - Asheville, NC - Brasstown, NC - Gainsville, FL

Locations by name Select a location Albany, NY Amherst, MA Asheville, NC Berkeley, CA Binghamton, NY Bloomington, IN Boston, MA Bowen Island, BC Canada Brasstown, NC Brooklyn, NY Burlington, VT Charlottesville, VA Chesterfield, MA Chicago, IL Denver, CO Edmonton, AB Eugene, OR Frederick, MD Gabriola Island, BC Canada Gainsville, FL Grand Rapids, MI Great Barrington, MA Los Angeles, CA Louisville, KY Madison, WI Marlboro, VT Minneapolis, MN Narragansett, RI Nelson, NH New Haven, CT New London, CT New York City, NY Omaha, NE Palo Alto, CA Phoenix, AZ Philadelphia, PA Portland, OR Princeton, NJ Putney, VT Rockport, ME Saint Louis, MO San Diego ,CA San Francisco, CA Santa Cruz, CA Seattle, WA Sebastopol, CA Shepherdstown, WV Syracuse, NY Thetford, VT Toronto, ON Canada Vancouver, BC Canada Victoria, BC Canada Yorktown, VA

Teams by name Select a Team Albemarle Morris Men And Sometime Y Manx, Morris & Sword Angleterre Morris Apple Tree Morris Asheville Morris Ashgrove Garland B. F. Haridans Banbury Cross Morris Bassett Street Hounds Belles of York Bells of River City Bells of the North Berkeley Morris Berkshire Morris Men Binghamton Morris Men Black Sheep Morris Dancers Black Wren Morris Bloomington Quarry Morris Borderline Morris Bouwerie Boys Morris Dancers Brackleberry Morris Breathless in Berthoud Border Morris Bridgetown Morris Men The Capering Roisters Catamount Morris Charm City Sword Cold Barn Morris Dancers Commonwealth Morris Men Dame's Rocket Northwest Clog Deer Creek Morris Men Drumbeggar Border Morris Drunken Weasels Border Morris Edmonton Magpie Morris Firebird Foggy Bottom Morris Men Four Corners Morris Goat Hill Morris Great Meadows Morris & Sword Green Fiddle Morris Green Mountain Morris Greenwood Morris Guiding Star Clog Morris Half Crown Clog Handsome Molly Ha'Penny Morris Hart's Brook Garland Women Heartwood Morris Dancers Hicks with Sticks Border Highland Mary Hollytree Morris HopBrook Morris Island Thyme Morris Jack in the Green Johnny Jump Ups Juggler Meadow Morris Men Kingsessing Morris Ladies of the Rolling Pin Maple Leaf Morris Marlboro Morris Men Maroon Bells Morris Mercer Maypole Dancers Millstone River Morris Minnesota Traditional Morris Misty City Morris Moreton Bay Fig Morris Morning Glories MossyBack Morris Men Muddy River Morris Mystic Garland Dancers New Haven Morris & Sword Newtowne Morris Men North by Northwest Morris Northern Lightsv Oak Apple Morris On the Border Morris Orange Peel Morris Pipe Dream Morris Pokingbrook Morris Prairie Waves Morris Pullman Morris & Sword Putney Morris Men Putney Mountain Morris Women Quicksbottom Morris Ramsey's Braggarts Red Herring Morris Renegade Morris Renegade Rose Morris Ribbonsteel Rapper Ring O'Bells Rising Phoenix Morris River Rats Rock Creek Morris Women Rural Felicity Garland Dancers Seabright Morris and Sword Snowbelt Morris Sound and Fury Morris Sticks in the Mud Border Morris Thornden Morris Tiddley Cove Morris Toronto Morris Men Toronto Women's Sword Two Rivers Morris Underground Morris Uptown-On-Calhoun Vancouver Morris Men Wake Robin Morris Westerly Morris Men White Rats Morris Wild Blue Morris Wild Rose Garland Wild Rose Garland Dancers Windham

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.
Look for the symbol where we have explicit updates for 2017.

Vancouver with Vancouver Morris Men with Tiddley Cove Morris

• 5:30 am Vancouver Morris Men and Tiddley Cove Morris dance up the dawn at Sparrow Fart in Trimble Park (West 8th Av & Trimble St) in West Point Grey
, Vancouver, BC V6R 4G9
• 7:00 am - Off to breakfast and seasonal singing at a locat restaurant.
• For more information email or

Gabriola Island, BC with   

Drumbegger Border Morris will be dancing the May this year for 2nd 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 Gorilla dance outs around the island. For more information, check the team Facebook page, or 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, White Ladies Aston or Bampton Side Step Renegade Rose Morris dancing The Idiot or Weavers March

Eugene, OR with Two Rivers Morris

• 5:30 am - dancing at the "Sun" bike-trail mile marker in Alton Baker Park
• Breakfast with the team at a to-be-determined location!  Then most of us sibble off to our day-jobs.
• 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....they usually tour local schools and parks.  Contact the team for details.
• For more information, email , call 707-823-6925, or see their Facebook page.
  
  

  	Apple Tree Morris dancing Grenadiers or Speed the Plough
  	California Revels May Day, 2009 with Apple Tree Morris and Deer Creek Morris Men
  	2017 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 later in the day,  Shaking legs and jingling bells all over Berkeley today, with locations and times to be determined.  If they know the details, it will be here.
• For more information contact the

Palo Alto, CA with Deer Creek Morris Men and Kitchen Sink 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!
• Deer Creek may attend May Day at the Oakland Zoo.  Ask a team member for details.
• For more information email the squire for

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

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!

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.

Omaha, NE with Prairie Waves Morris

• We are likely to do a few dances out in the street in the neighborhood.  This is good for scaring the dogs and puzzling/amusing the neighbors.  However, its mostly about keeping the faith.
• For more information, email or call 402-553-2562

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

Chicago, IL

• 7:30 am - dance in Arcade Park located approximately at 112th and Laurence Avenue in the Pullman neighborhood of Chicago.
• Participants are invited 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 Ithaca, 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 Berkshire Morris Men and Wild Rose Garland Dancers

Chesterfield, MA with Borderline Morris

• Dancing the sun up around 5:00 am at the Chesterfield Gorge, in West Chesterfield, MA 01084.
  • There will be Morris dacning, singing, tossing Old Man Winter into the gorge!  All are welcome!
  • Bring a snack if wanted, and warm clothes/blankets!
• Afterwards, the team has a potluck breakfast in Worthington.
• For more information, email or call 413-325-4039.

Amherst (area), MA with Juggler Meadow Morris Men, Johnny Jump Ups, Hart's Brook Garland, Marlboro Morris Men, Wake Robin Morris, 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

And Sometimes Y

Wake Robin Morris dancing Nutting Girl as a jig for all of the team who went on the tour to England, at Stone Henge  July 2016.

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     and a few folk from Mystic Garland Dancers

• 5:30 am - meet to dance at Connecticut College located on Route 32 north of Route 95, in New London, CT on the main college green (Tempel Green) in front of Blaustein Humanities Center
• For more information, email Westerly's squire or see their 2017 Mayday or Facebook pages.

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).  Check out our incredibly detailed map.
• 6:00 am - Maypole time - dig the hole, get the pole, make the ribbons!
• 6:45 am - Grab a ribbon and join the dance.  The May Pole is an all-inclusive, multi generational event.  All are welcome.  Bring instruments if you'd like to play music, or songs to sing.  Bring a short reading on a spring theme (animals and children are great topics) if you would like to read something aloud after the May Pole dance.
• 7:15 am - Potluck picnic breakfast and Morris dancing.
• Bring the Day!
• 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 35 years by Millstone River Morris, with guests Handsome Molly, Mercer Maypole Dancers, Singers, & Padstow Hobby Horse Troupe

Preview of coming attractions - Sunday, April 30:

On May Day:

Philadelphia, PA with Kingsessing Morris and Renegade Morris 

• May Day Preview:
  • Sunday, April 30, 8:30 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.
     
    
• On May Day:
  • 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.
  • After dancing in Fairmount Park, we'll have breakfast together, then continue to downtown Philadelphia for more dancing and May Day celebrations.
     
• For more information, email the squire for 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 and others.

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

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 Dancers

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 to 8:00 am - We "dance the sun up" at the Baughman Meditation Center on the west shore Lake Alice on the University of Florida campus.  It's located at the SE corner of Museum Rd and Radio Rd (982 Museum Rd, Gainsville, FL 32461).  Dances to be chosen by random drawing, and finishing up with a maypole dance for all.  BRING A FEW FLOWERS for the Annual May Day Flower Boat Regatta.
• 8:00 am to 9:45 am - the team scampers off and has breakfast at a local restaurant.
• 10:15 am to 10:45 am - Dance performance for a private group.
• Other activities as decided...
• For more information, check the team 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!