The best things to do in Chiang Mai this weekend (April 30-May 3)

San Pa Khoi’s monthly market returns with a strong local pull. Stalls spill onto the pavement around Anusarn Building, bringing street food, handmade crafts and low-key workshops together in one easy loop. Step inside and it carries on – more vendors, plus cafés and restaurants that have settled into the old building. It’s less tourist-heavy than some markets, with a proper neighbourhood feel and enough snacks to keep you circling longer than planned.

May 3. Free entry. Anusarn Building. From 8am-1pm

Get Roate Maa Get returns for its third edition with a focus on indigenous food culture and community exchange. Growers, cooks and makers share regional dishes, seasonal produce and stories rooted in local knowledge. It’s the kind of place where you try something unfamiliar, then end up chatting with the person who made it. Come for a quick taste, stay for the music, conversation or both. A solid pick if you want something genuinely local and independent. 

May 1-2. Free entry. Get Farmily. 4pm-9pm

If crossing town for coffee sounds like too much in this heat, Chong Chong Fest does the work for you. Held at One Nimman, it pulls together cafés, bakers and mixologists in one space – coffee, cakes, matcha and cocktails all within reach. April 30 kicks off with a drip coffee competition (worth timing for), while May 1 hosts a THB 100 dessert exchange. Expect to start with one drink and leave with far more than planned. 

April 30-May 4. Free entry. One Nimman. From 11am-10pm

For one weekend, the whole city turns into a stage. Chiang Mai International Jazz Day runs across three days and five of Chiang Mai’s best-known venues – North Gate Jazz Co-Op, North Gate Spirit, Mellowship Jazz Club, Moments Notice Jazz Club and Mahoree City of Music. There’s no fixed route – just follow the sound and settle where it feels right. Line-ups rotate across venues, so there's always a reason to move on to the next room. 

April 30-May 2. Free entry. North Gate Jazz Co-Op, North Gate Spirit, Mellowship Jazz Club, Moments Notice Jazz Club, Mahoree City of Music. Performances from 3pm

GRAPH Warehouse leans into plants, sustainability and handmade craft with its Urban Jungle weekend. The warehouse fills with houseplants and design-led stalls, while workshops run alongside for anyone keen to make something of their own – pottery, microwave glass casting and terrarium building all in the mix. Even if you skip the workshops, it’s worth dropping in for the plants alone – and with Graph hosting, the coffee and drinks are reliably on point. 

May 1-3. Free entry. GRAPH Warehouse Flea Market. 10am-6pm

Love it or hate it, durian gets the spotlight this weekend as CP Axtra rolls out its all-you-can-eat buffet at Makro Chiang Mai and Lotus Kham Tiang. The deal is simple: one hour of unlimited durian, or until you reach your limit. Farmers are on hand to crack and serve each fruit fresh, creamy and sweet, so you’re tasting it at its best. If you’ve been curious – or want to test your tolerance properly  – this is the way to do it.

April 30-May 4. B599 per hour. Makro Chiang Mai and Lotus Kham Tiang. Sessions at 11am-12pm, 1pm-2pm, 2.30pm-3.30pm and 4pm-5pm

Chiro Flowers teams up with Bangkok-based Ciao Flora for a one-off ikebana workshop – the Japanese art of flower arrangement that’s as much about process as the final result. Expect a calm, focused session where small details matter and the pace naturally slows. It’s the kind of afternoon that leaves you feeling noticeably lighter on the way out. Seats are limited, so booking ahead is essential.

May 1. B1990 per person. Book via LINE at chiro.flowers. Capa Dance Studio. 11.30am-1pm

Assistant Professor Kawin Wongwigkarn’s exhibition strips art back to its most elemental form, exploring how lines – their curves, direction and movement – carry memory and meaning across the canvas. It’s minimal, thoughtful and quietly absorbing, the kind of show that lingers a little after you leave. Give yourself time here; it’s not one to rush through.

Apr 25-May 31. Free entry. La Luna Gallery. 10am-5pm

Hotel bars are not uncommon, but what is uncommon is when they have something extra worth visiting for. The Marriott’s Wang Bar is one of these spots, where the bar is less about the drinks (although they’re still very good) and more about the experience. Inside, you’ll find three zones that are all about the fun, packed with massive-size golf simulators, private karaoke rooms and e-gaming setups that are a blast – all starting at just B750 per hour. At the bar, golf-inspired drinks make up the menu, served in a plush yet authentic Lanna-heritage style setting. A great start to the long holidays, or a nice filler after the splashing is over next weekend. 

Now open. Free entry, B750 per hour of activity. Wang Bar, Chiang Mai Marriott Hotel. Open Wed-Sun, 2pm-midnight.

This exhibition at Deja Gallery invites you to sit with a question most of us have asked ourselves at least once: what if a different choice had been made? Featuring works by Jood Jung, Ignat Martynov, Chae Sengkwon, Jessica Chen, Kotaro Yokomizo and Christine Cho, the exhibition explores how we carry our past and the quiet weight of decisions left behind. Each piece approaches that theme differently, making the experience feel personal rather than prescriptive.

Feb 13-May 22. Free. Deja Gallery. Open Mon, Wed-Sun 8.30am-5pm