The City Is Waking Up. So Should Your Plans.

There is a particular feeling that hits Thunder Bay in May. The ice has given way. The days stretch long and golden. The air smells like possibility. People come out of hibernation. Plans get made. Tables get booked. Weekend getaways become non-negotiable.

And right in the middle of all of it — sitting at 555 West Arthur Street, ready to host every kind of adventure this city has to offer — is the Superior Inn Hotel and Conference Centre.

This is not just a hotel. Not this month.

In May 2026, Superior Inn is the basecamp for everything good happening in Thunder Bay.
 

Mother's Day Deserves More Than Flowers

Sunday, May 10, 2026.

She has been here since day one. She deserves better than a card and a rushed brunch. She deserves a table set for her, a kitchen she didn't have to touch, and a meal that was built with her in mind.

The Lake and Spruce Restaurant at Superior Inn has a special Mother's Day menu ready to deliver exactly that. Contemporary, flavourful, and served in a warm setting that feels like a celebration — not a chain restaurant on a busy Sunday. Whether you bring Mom for lunch or make a full evening of it, this is where brunch gets upgraded to an experience.

Reserve your table. She's worth it.
 

The Folklore Festival Is This Weekend (And It's One for the Books)

May 2 and 3, 2026. Fort William Gardens and Curling Club.

If you are anywhere near Thunder Bay and you are not at the Folklore Festival 2026, you are missing the most colourful weekend the city puts on all spring. Themed this year as a World Tour of Nations, the festival runs Saturday from noon to 8 PM and Sunday from noon to 7 PM, presented by the Thunder Bay Multicultural Association.

International foods. Live cultural performances. Dance. Music from Canada and around the globe. A children's area packed with free activities, an inflatable, arts and crafts, and prizes. Admission is just five dollars for adults, three for seniors and students, and a dollar for kids aged four to twelve.

This is Thunder Bay at its most welcoming. And Superior Inn is minutes away, making it the smartest place to stay if you want to roll in, drop your bags, and head straight to the festival without a second thought.
 

Live Music, Big Shows, and Busy Weekends. May Is Moving in Thunder Bay.

Thunder Bay does not slowdown in May. The city keeps its weekends full with live music, headline concerts, comedy nights, and crowd-pulling performances across some of its biggest venues.

Sandra Bouza opens the month with soulful live music, Parabolus brings a full TOOL tribute experience on May 16, Tim Hicks takes over the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium on May 24, and Alestorm turns up the volume at NV Music Hall during the final weekend of the month. Across the city, stages stay active, audiences stay out, and there is always something worth heading to after dark.

Stay at Superior Inn Hotel & Conference Centre, and every major venue is just a short drive away, giving you the perfect place to unwind after the show.
 

The Circus Comes to Town

May 22, 2026. The Great Benjamins Circus at the CLE.

Under the Big Top is not a phrase you get to say every day. But this month, it applies. The Great Benjamins Circus arrives at the Canadian Lakehead Exhibition grounds, with multiple performances throughout the day. This is the kind of event that makes kids lose their minds and quietly reminds adults how good it feels to be in a crowd cheering for something completely joyful.

Bring the family. Book a room with a waterslide for the full effect.
 

Where the Kids Go While You Breathe

Here is the honest truth about traveling with children: sometimes you want to give them something spectacular while you sit in a hot tub for twenty minutes.

Superior Inn makes that trade possible.

The three-story indoor waterslide is the centrepiece. It towers through the pool area and delivers exactly the kind of chaos kids live for. While they burn through every last bit of energy on the slide and in the heated pool, you sink into the hot tub, order something from The Lake and Spruce's in-room dining, and remember what relaxation feels like.

The pool area serves up views from every angle. The kids' theme suites turn bedtime into part of the adventure. And the whole setup means that a May weekend in Thunder Bay can be both an action-packed city trip and a proper family getaway without anyone having to compromise.
 

The Lake and Spruce: Where Every Meal Is an Event

Formerly known as Chicago Joe's, The Lake and Spruce did not change anything that mattered. Same chefs. Same famous wings. Same warm, welcoming atmosphere that turned it into one of Thunder Bay's favourite restaurants in the first place.

What you get here in May: a full menu running breakfast through dinner, seven days a week from 8 AM to 10 PM. The sports bar lounge carries the energy into the night, with four LCD screens, premium drinks, and a crowd that actually knows how to have a good time.

Thursday Wing Night runs every single week. Sixteen flavours, $16.50 per pound, 11 AM to midnight. If you have not made this a regular calendar appointment, now is the time.

And for May, the dining room gets a seasonal moment it deserves with the Mother's Day special menu that turns the second Sunday of the month into something genuinely memorable.
 

Planning a Wedding This Summer? May Is When You Book It.

The Superior Inn ballrooms host weddings for 8 guests and for 700. The Regency Ballroom, the Embassy Ballroom — these are spaces that photograph beautifully and run seamlessly because the team behind them has been doing this long enough to know exactly what a couple needs before they even ask.

Certified wedding consultants. A culinary team that will not let a late start ruin a single plate. Custom menus built around your vision. Off-site catering if your venue is somewhere out in the city's incredible natural surroundings.

If summer 2026 is your season, May is when the best dates disappear. Reach out to Krista at krista.erven@superiorinnhotel.com or call 807-476-2703 before someone else takes your date.
 

Conferences, Meetings, and the People Who Run the City's Business

Spring is conference season. Boards reconvene. Teams regroup. Training sessions get scheduled. And organizations across Northwestern Ontario know that the Superior Inn Conference Centre is the facility that does it right.

Twelve meeting rooms. Layouts that scale from intimate boardrooms to full conference setups. Capacity for groups from 8 to 700. Professional staff who treat your event like it matters — because to them, it genuinely does.

If your Q2 planning session, your spring conference, or your year-end gala needs a home in May, there are rooms available. But not for long.
 

May Is the Sweet Spot

Summer is coming, but it has not arrived yet. That means no peak-season rush. Better availability. More room to breathe. The city's best events are already running, the weather is turning in your favour, and Thunder Bay has a particular energy in May that you simply cannot manufacture in July.

Superior Inn sits in the middle of all of it. Close to the CLE. Close to Fort William Gardens. Minutes from the waterfront, the restaurants, the entertainment, the trails. With everything you need — a warm pool, great food, fast Wi-Fi, and a team that actually wants you to have a good stay — right inside the building.

May in Thunder Bay is a gift. Unwrap it from the right address.
 

Book your May 2026 stay at Superior Inn Hotel and Conference Centre:

Toll-Free: 1-800-387-3331 Phone: 807-577-8481 Online: superiorinnhotel.com

555 West Arthur Street, Thunder Bay, ON, P7E 5R5