A Long Weekend Kind of Mood
May 22–24, 2026
Hi parents,
Memorial Day weekend always feels a little softer around the edges. A little less rush, a little more wandering.
This is the kind of weekend for tidepool mornings, farmers market snacks that somehow become lunch, and finding one good thing to anchor the day around. There are brain dissections in a park (yes, really), shadow puppet shows, beach cleanups, live music by the coast, and plenty of low-effort outings if your family energy is somewhere between “let’s do everything” and “please no complicated logistics.”
As usual, use this as a menu, not a plan.
Happening All Weekend
Breakwater Barbecue 6th Anniversary Festival
Friday–Monday, 12:00 pm – 8:00 pm | 📍 Breakwater BBQ, El Granada
Six years on the Coastside, celebrated with live music all four days. Think smoked meats, local acts, ocean breezes, and picnic-table energy, the kind of place that turns a holiday lunch into a real memory. Worth the drive if you’re headed to Half Moon Bay anyway.
All ages | Free entry (food & drinks for purchase) | Learn more
The Three Little Pigs
Saturday & Sunday, 10:00 am & 12:00 pm | 📍 Palo Alto Children’s Theatre, Palo Alto
Storyteller style theater for your youngest, simple sets, lots of wiggles, and a 55-minute runtime that’s just right. Two performances each day. All attendees need a ticket, even babies, so book ahead.
Best for ages 2–6 | ~$15/ticket | Get tickets
CuriOdyssey Museum & Zoo
10:00 am – 5:00 pm | 📍 CuriOdyssey, San Mateo
Open all weekend, and Memorial Day Monday too. Get up close with otters, bobcats, eagles, foxes, and native California wildlife, then explore interactive science stations along the bay.
Best for ages 2–12 | Adults $24.95, Kids $19.95 (+ $6 Parking fee) | Get tickets
Today at Apple: Kids Workshops
11:00 am daily | 📍 Apple Stanford Shopping Center, Palo Alto
Free drop-in sessions Saturday and Sunday, Making a Theme Song, Code Your First App, Create Comics Inspired by Planet Earth, and more. Popular with the 6–12 crowd, so arrive a few minutes early.
Best for ages 6–12 | Free | Learn more
Saturday, May 23
Free Go Kart Racing + Shadow Puppet Theater
10:00 am – 12:30 pm | 📍 Scaffold Play Lab, Palo Alto
Two events for the price of zero. Older kids build, test, and race real go karts while exploring engineering concepts. Younger ones step into an ocean themed shadow puppet show, with performances at 10:15 am and 11:30 am.
Ages 4–11 | Free | Get tickets
College of San Mateo Farmers Market
9:00 am – 1:00 pm | 📍 College of San Mateo, San Mateo
A Peninsula stalwart with hilltop views, fresh produce, seafood, artisan bread, and food trucks. Wide open space and usually live music make this one of the best slow Saturday morning options.
All ages | Free | Learn more
Coastside Farmers Market
9:00 am – 1:00 pm | 📍 Shoreline Station, Half Moon Bay
A farmer run market in a seaside setting that makes it one of the most scenic on the Bay Area circuit. Peak May picks include strawberries, artichokes, snap peas, and early stone fruit.
All ages | Free | Learn more
Dunes Beach Cleanup with Sea Hugger
10:00 am – 12:00 pm | 📍 Dunes Beach, Half Moon Bay
A monthly volunteer cleanup that Sea Hugger makes genuinely family friendly. Kids learn ocean stewardship the best way, by doing something about it. Bring reusable gloves if you have them.
All ages | Free | Register
Saturday Storytime at Barnes & Noble
11:00 am | 📍 Barnes & Noble Hillsdale, San Mateo
A weekly drop in for little readers with storytime, crafts, and snacks in a welcoming bookstore setting. Easy, no fuss, and a nice anchor for a slower Saturday morning.
Best for ages 2–8 | Free | Learn more
Sunday, May 24
BioCompass Kids: Brainstorm Expedition
9:30 am – 2:00 pm | 📍 Beresford Park, San Mateo
Don’t skip this one. Real neuroscientists set up an outdoor pop up lab where kids can hold brain specimens, play neuron games, run experiments, and compete at brain trivia with prizes.
All ages | Free (RSVP appreciated) | Register
Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, Tidepool Exploring
From 8:00 am | 📍 Fitzgerald Marine Reserve, Moss Beach
One of the most magical free nature spots on the California coast. At low tide, kids can spot sea stars, crabs, anemones, octopuses, and more in the protected reef.
Best for ages 5+ | Free | Get details
Burlingame Fresh Market
9:00 am – 1:00 pm | 📍 Park Rd at Burlingame Ave, Burlingame
A Sunday morning stroll on Burlingame Avenue is quietly one of the Peninsula’s best simple pleasures. Seasonal produce, flowers, and local treats, best paired with breakfast nearby.
All ages | Free | Learn more
Menlo Park Farmers Market
9:00 am – 1:00 pm | 📍 Chestnut St, Menlo Park
A year-round Sunday market in a beautiful neighborhood setting with fresh fish, produce, cheese, flowers, and artisan goods. Consistently one of the Peninsula’s most reliable markets.
All ages | Free | Learn more
A Few Parent Pocket Guide Picks
• If you only choose one nature outing this weekend, make it the Fitzgerald tidepools. Kids remember that kind of thing for years.
• The BioCompass brain event feels like one of those wonderfully random Bay Area experiences that could either become a core memory or a future science obsession.
• Memorial Day weekends can get crowded fast. Earlier mornings will almost always feel calmer.
Wishing you a weekend with at least one truly easy moment in it.
See you out there,
Akriti