Few regions celebrate their Irish heritage better than Long Island. After a two-year pandemic pause, St. Patrick's Day parades are gearing up to step off this March with grand fanfare. 

From Rockville Centre to Montauk, from the first weekend of March till the last, Main Streets across the Island come alive with pipers, parade marchers, traditional food, music, dance, and more. Huntington itself swells with visitors on the second Sunday of March when one of the largest St. Patrick’s Day gatherings in New York State kicks off in the village downtown. That Huntington parade is dwarfed perhaps only by New York’s City’s celebration (NEEDS UPDATE), which this year is Thursday, March 17.

Most of these events are low cost or FREE, ideal for families, and appropriate for first-generation Irish-Americans or those who are just Irish for a day.

Read on for our favorites from among the parades that will take place in Patrick’s honor this month on the Island. Click through for details, including parade routes, dates, times, and more. As always see our Long Island Events Calendar and March GoList for the best in family entertainment all month long.

NYC kids who’ve been itching for the school year to be over so they can devote more time to their extracurricular technology passions are in luck. We've rounded up more than a dozen techie summer camps right here in the city, which all offer hands-on building, coding, 3D printing and more.

No matter your child’s interest, age or location, you should be able to pick out the perfect camp from our list below to fuel some summertime STEM learning. Act fast, too, if you want to take advantage of early bird pricing.

The Kartrite Resort & Indoor Waterpark—billed as the biggest indoor water park in New York state—is finally opening this spring!

Since we first learned about this exciting new indoor water park in the Catskills over a year ago, we’ve been eagerly anticipating its grand opening. Originally scheduled for April 5, the resort has announced that the opening will now take place Friday, April 19, 2019. 

Located about 2 hours from midtown Manhattan in Monticello, NY, the Kartrite is an exciting alternative to farther-afield indoor water parks in the NYC area. Reservations are now open for April and beyond—perfect for spring break, a weekend away, or your family's summer vacation. Read on for more details, plus a peek inside the space.

Most private and independent schools in NYC have a two-week spring break (as opposed to the one-week-long winter and spring breaks public school kids get), during which parents need to keep the little ones busy. Fortunately, NYC has no shortage of camp options for the private and independent school spring break, which runs from March 15 to April 1 for the 2019 school year. 

We've rounded up over a dozen programs with camp offerings during the two-week break for private and independent schools. It's always worth checking with your local play space or other neighborhood kid spot to see what's on offer. Be sure to click through to the camps' official sites for more details, including hours and pricing.

Oh, and get ahead of the game by checking out our Summer Camp Guide!

Potterheads take note: A new coffee shop has opened in the East Village serving steamy brews and magical potions, along with a side of Harry Potter-themed fun. At Steamy Hallows, you can fill the void of the recently departed History of Magic exhibition with a Butterbeer, or even treat your sweetheart to a "Love Potion No. 9 3/4." Read on for a peek inside the new spot and details about the magic-inspired menu. Accio, hot cocoa!

Got a kid with an appetite for eggs? Even if you don't, chances are your kids will crave a chance to climb into The Egg House, an interactive, sensory play pop-up with a funky story that, after wowing visitors in Manhattan, is due to open in DTLA March 20, 2019. The exhibit will be open until May, and pre-sale tickets are available now.

Nothing would seem to get kids more excited about breakfast than pancakes. Thin, fluffy, smothered, or sugared, this delectable treat delivers a sense of warmth and hominess that can’t be topped.

So with National Pancake Day looming (March 12), we've rounded up our favorite pancake destinations in Nassau and Suffolk counties, and even one worth a journey to the East End.  While you’re sampling these scrumptious local bites, check out our guide to kid-friendly restaurants, including LI's best ice cream parlors, candy shops, and places where kids can eat FREE.

Prepare to enter a world of make believe and monsters. Venture into the abyss and enjoy the fun that comes from interacting with creatures you've only heard of in stories. Featuring dragons and mermaids, unicorns and monsters, the new exhibit at the The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Mythic Creatures: Dragons, Unicorns  and Mermaids, is an excellent demonstration of the way cultures all over the world have embraced many similar myths and fantasies. The question is "Why?" Did our ancestors really live in a world of magic or was it their way of explaining the inexplicable? I went with my daughter to learn the answer. Below is our review and a primer for your adventure to this fantastical exhibit!