May is the start of festival season in the South Sound - the weather warms up, the sun comes out most days (at least, let's hope it does) and events galore take to local parks, green spaces and venues. Almost all South Sound festivals make great family events, and a few (such as the Gig Harbor Beer Festival) are excellent date fodder for couples.

Tacoma Guitar Festival

The Tacoma Guitar Festival is in its very first year and starting off with a bang. Guitar enthusiasts will enjoy the 150 plus exhibit booths, but also workshops, performances and chances to meet guitar personalities from near and far. There will be live performances throughout the day, including singer/songwriter Ian Moore, Griff Hamlin of Blues Guitar Unleashed fame, solo artist and more Adrian Galysh, and songwriter and guitarist Jerry Miller. If you're in the market to buy, sell or trade a guitar or anything related to a guitar, this is also the place to be. The festival is on at the Tacoma Dome May 17 at 9:30 a.m. Tickets are $10 at the Tacoma Dome box office or $13.42 if you buy via Ticketmaster online. Parking is free. Kids under 12 free.

For more information, go to http://www.tacomaguitarfestival.com/.

Gig Harbor Beer Festival

Gig Harbor Beer Festival takes place Mother's Day weekend. If the wife in your life needs a break, perhaps some beer tasting fun is just what she needs! The $30 tickets will get you a five-ounce tasting glass, eight taster tokens and a program. All kinds of brewers will be at the festival, from Fremont Brewing to Georgetown to the uber local Wingman Brewers. Live music by Perry Acker and others is also scheduled to be on tap. Since there are no food vendors at this festival, bring your own snacks or a picnic. The festival takes place at the Uptown Gig Harbor Pavilion and serves as a fundraiser for the Gig Harbor Kiwanis Foundation ... how often do you get to tip back a beer for a good cause?

For more information, go to http://www.gigharborbeerfestival.com/.

Gig Harbor Street Scramble

Street Scrambles are like scavenger hunts - participants scramble through the streets of Gig Harbor looking for checkpoints on a map. You can choose your time limit and your goal is to find as many of the checkpoints as you can within that limit. Unlike marathons or even 5Ks, Street Scrambles strive to include everyone possible. You don't have to directly compete with anyone; you can be part of a team or go it alone; kids can join in, moms with strollers can join in; electric scooters can scour the streets, too. If you can move for at least 90 minutes in one way or another, you can scramble for checkpoints. What's even cooler about the Gig Harbor Street Scramble is that the local YMCA subsidizes the event so that it's free! Register in advance or May 23, the day of the event.

For more information, go to http://streetscramble.com/events/street-scramble-gig-harbor/.

Spring Fairy Festival

The Fairy Festival was founded by the owner of Crescent Moon Gifts and is all about art, music and performance. Performers range from fire performance to belly dancers to fairies that create balloon animals. Vendors skew toward the kind you might find at a Renaissance or fantasy festival, and past guest artists include Alexandra Haley and Amy Brown. This year, the festival takes place May 30 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Admission is free.

For more information, go to http://www.springfairyfestival.com/.

Steamboat Stringband Jamboree

For music fans, there is no finer May happening than the Steamboat Stringband Jamboree. Seventeen Northwest bands converge on The Prosperity Garage (3701 Steamboat Island Road NW, Olympia) and jam out for two days straight. Food, craft, beer and drink vendors also come along for the fun. Bands at the Jamboree for 2015 include Barleywine Revue, Crow and The Canyon, Pickled Okra and more. Tickets are $15 to $25, depending on whether you by in advance or at the door. Kids under 17 are free.

For more information, go to http://www.steamboatstringjam.com/.