Things to Do in Ithaca in May
May weather, activities, events & insider tips
Shoulder Season · Good Value
May Weather in Ithaca
Temperature, rainfall and humidity at a glance
69°F (20°C)
High Temp
50°F (10°C)
Low Temp
0.1 inches (3 mm)
Rainfall
70%
Humidity
Is May Right for You?
Weigh the advantages and considerations before booking
Advantages
- + May in Ithaca is when the gorges erupt with spring growth, Cascadilla Gorge's walls blaze neon green against black shale, and waterfalls thunder at full volume from snowmelt.
- + College students have mostly left for summer break, so downtown commons has parking available and you can snag a table at Moosewood within 30 minutes instead of the usual hour-plus wait.
- + The Ithaca Farmers Market shifts to its summer location on Cayuga Lake, giving you that postcard-perfect backdrop while you sample peony honey from local beekeepers and maple syrup aged in oak barrels.
- + Wine trail season kicks off properly, the Cayuga Lake Wine Trail opens their outdoor patios and the Riesling is at its most crisp after winter storage.
Considerations
- − Black flies emerge in late May, and they'll swarm you the moment you step onto any hiking trail, the only defense is 100% DEET, which smells like you're marinating in chemicals.
- − Spring breakup means the lake water is still bone-chilling cold at 10°C (50°F), so that dreamy swim you imagined becomes more of a painful polar plunge that lasts 30 seconds max.
- − Hotel rates start climbing as Memorial Day approaches, and the B&Bs around Cayuga Lake that were half-full in April suddenly require booking a month ahead.
Best Activities in May
Top things to do during your visit
In Ithaca, May flips the switch. One week you need a jacket. The next, the thermometer kisses twenty degrees Celsius and the Finger Lakes forests explode into full, saturated green. Students vanish, taking the academic buzz with them, and the Commons settles into a slower, resident heartbeat. Rainfall drops to winter levels but without the bite, so you can walk the gorges, sniff the damp earth, and lunch outside without fighting for a patio seat. Humidity hasn't crashed the party yet. No headline festivals crowd the calendar. That is the point. You get unhurried vineyard visits before the summer wave, waterfalls still swollen with snowmelt, and winery first releases after a long winter rest. The sensory payoff is immediate: cool mist on your skin, sun flickering through new leaves, the first outdoor meal that doesn't require a fleece. This is Ithaca at its most open and green.
Keuka Lake Winery Tour
guided_experiencehugs one of the Finger Lakes' prettiest arms, where vines plunge straight toward the water. You'll hit a hand-picked line-up of family estates, duck into barrel rooms heavy with Riesling perfume and sturdy reds, while the guide unpacks the lake's viticultural back-story.
logistics vanish. You simply taste the best of Keuka's less-traveled shore.
Insider tip: grab the lake-side van seat for vineyard slopes that tumble right to the surface.
Seneca Lake South Wine Tastings Tour
foodfocuses on the deeper, warmer basin of the longest lake, ground zero for bigger reds. Stops rotate between a rough-hewn barn and a sleek glass-walled facility, always with a sweeping water backdrop. Expect Cabernet Franc and Lemberger side by side.
the southern pocket enjoys its own micro-climate, and the wines show it, structured, dark, layered.
Insider tip: bring layers; a May breeze off sixty-meter depths can feel like November even when the sun blazes.
Private Historic Walking Tour in Ithaca Cultural Landmarks
culturalstitches downtown to Cornell, linking the DeWitt Historical Society with the chimes of the campus clock tower. Your guide will map the shift from mill town to brainy enclave, flagging stone gargoyles and Ezra Cornell stories the standard mics skip.
the route bends to your pace and questions, not a script.
Insider tip: book a late-morning slot so the sun fires up the bluestone facades.
Wonderful Watkins Glen Scavenger Hunt
otherturns the Gorge Trail into a live game board. An app nudges you to locate specific sandstone curls, measure the echo inside Cavern Cascade, and decode clues that force you to look up, down, and sideways.
kids and adults notice geology they'd otherwise stride past.
Insider tip: top off your phone and slip on a waterproof case. Mist is everywhere.
Keuka Lake Wine Tour - Customizable
foodhands you the steering wheel. Tell the guide you crave traditional méthode champenoise bubbles or funky hybrid-grav natural pours and the van heads to the right barns and slate-roofed cellars around the branch. Transportation and local insight stay included. Destinations don't.
oenophiles get a curated look at no fixed list can match.
Insider tip: spell out your obsessions, dry rosé, oak-free Grüner, experimental terroir, when you book so the route is laser-focused.
Seneca Lake Wine Tour - Customizable
foodworks the same flexible magic on the bigger lake. Target well-known Riesling houses, zero in on sustainable vineyards, or weave in a craft brewery or lakeside distillery. The day bends to your whims.
one smooth loop can pair bright wine with single-malt or hazy IPA, all framed by Seneca's wide-water horizon.
Insider tip: ask for a route that swings past Hector Falls, a roadside curtain of water you can gulp in without leaving the car.
Where to Stay in Ithaca in May
Hand-picked hotels across price tiers for May travellers.
May Events & Festivals
What's happening during your visit
Late May
Ithaca Festival
The last full weekend in May transforms downtown into a massive street fair with local food vendors, multiple music stages, and the famous parade that's part Mardi Gras, part hippie throwback. The smell of kettle corn mingles with patchouli, and every third person seems to be juggling or playing a drum.
Mid May
Cayuga Lake Wine Trail Barrel Tasting
Weekends in mid-May when wineries crack open barrels from the previous harvest for sampling, you taste wines that won't be bottled for months, and the winemakers themselves pour and explain the aging process. It's essentially a preview of what's coming.
Packing Checklist
Bookmark this page — your progress is saved between visits
Need the full list with shopping links?
Climate-specific gear, brand recommendations, and what to leave at home.
View Ithaca Packing List →Essential Tips
Insider knowledge and common pitfalls to avoid
Insider Knowledge
Park at the Ithaca College campus and walk down to Buttermilk Falls, it's free and closer than the state park lot, plus you get views across the whole valley.
The best time for gorge hiking is 8-9am when the sun hits the waterfalls at the perfect angle for photos, and before the trails get busy with families.
Local secret: the Farmer's Market vendors start discounting produce after 2pm on Sundays, that's when you grab deals on Finger Lakes cheese and honey.
Skip the popular Taughannock overlook on weekends, instead, drive to the south end of Cayuga Lake where the pull-offs give you the same view without tour buses.
Avoid These Mistakes
Trying to hike all the gorges in one day, the elevation changes will destroy your legs, plus you'll miss the different character of each one.
Assuming lake swimming is possible in May, locals wear wetsuits, and hypothermia sets in faster than you'd think at 10°C (50°F).
Not booking restaurants ahead for graduation weekends, Cornell's May graduation turns every decent restaurant into a disaster zone of 2-hour waits.
Explore More Activities in Ithaca
Didn't see anything interesting yet?
Browse Viator's full catalog of tours, day trips, food experiences, and private guides in Ithaca.
See All Ithaca Tours on Viator