Nestled in Sussex Country, Sparta is great little country town and lake community. Whether you are strolling the Lake Mohawk boardwalk or shopping at Olde Lafayette Village, the fresh country air and slower place is a refreshing change. You don’t need to board a plane to explore a new town. By travelling up Route 80, you’ll not only see the beautiful, serene fall foliage, but experience a ‘different’ New Jersey, so head out to Sparta, NJ!
 

We have quite a busy weekend in store here at Mommy Poppins. On Saturday, we're hosting our Halloween Family Cruise on New York Harbor, featuring the wacky antics of Dr. Blood, a costume parade, face painting, nautical skills and tasty treats. Then on Sunday, it's our first-ever Mommy Poppins Night at the New Victory Theater. Enjoy the charming family production Me and My Shadow, a pre-show puppet workshop and a post-show meet and greet with the cast, plus a 20% discount on tickets. There are still tickets available for the sail and the show, so we hope to see you at one of these special events—or both!

Meanwhile, everything's coming up Halloween on all of our sites. This week we rounded up FREE family costume parades in NYC and Westchester; haunted houses in New Jersey and on Long Island; NJ haunted hayrides and fun ideas for non-edible treats to hand out on Halloween.

Our Travel site continued its series on vacationing in the U.K. with a post about things to do with kids in Cornwall, England. Plus we've got a roundup of the ten best hotel chains for families including categories like best value and coolest amenities. And there are still a few hours left to enter our Songs for Seeds preschool music class giveaway.

Here's what else we covered on the NYC site this week:

This weekend, head to the Five Towns and enjoy a country fair at the Rock Hall Museum. Now in its 30th year, The Oyster Festival, which is one of the largest waterfront festivals, hits the streets of Downtown Oyster Bay. For those in Suffolk County, head to Downtown Sayville for a festival, which celebrates the fall harvest through a pumpkin contest and an apple pie bake off. In the mood for some indoor fun? Budding cinefiles of all ages enjoy a 75 minute shorts program at the Long Beach Hotel. Icelandic pop singer Elska hits the stage for two performances at the Long Island Children's Museum. Also on tap: a Nocturnal Animals & Scavenger Hunt at the Sands Point Preserve. As always, check our events calendar every day for fun activities for the family.

Boston families are treated to a host of family-friendly festivals this weekend, from the Boston Book Festival in Copley Square to the Great Pumpkin Fest at the EcoTarium; from Applefest at Wachusett Mountain to the Rockport Harvest Fest in Rockport Center. These, plus the Ringling Bros., Barnum & Bailey Circus, a celebration of National Archaeology Day at the Museum of Science, the Head of the Charles Regatta, and Boo at the Zoo are just some of the many weekend options available. And be sure to check our Events Calendar for more things to do.

Also on Mommy Poppins Boston this week:

• We’ve added some seasonally appropriate haunts to visit, alternatives to trick or treating, and some cool things to hand out on Halloween besides candy to our ever expanding Halloween Guide.
• Celeste has found a wealth of online forums and email lists that can be a good way of finding other parents in your neighborhood, or parents who share interests with you - if there’s an interest, there’s a forum!
• Next up in Tara’s Poppins Parents series: Pam Hess, Appalachian Mountain Club’s Director of Youth Engagement and one of the primary architects of Outdoors Rx, a program that encourages regular outdoor physical activity.

Enjoy!

This weekend has the stink of Halloween all over it. Oh, some folks might try to pull the cobwebs over your eyes, talking about “autumn” and “the harvest.”  Yeah, that’s why we’re hitting every pumpkin patch and corn maze within a 50 mile limit. For autumn. And throwin’ candy in kids’ bags? Totally a harvest thing.

We’ve been down this road before. A few weeks of Halloween mania will give way to two solid months of the C word. (Not the bad one, the good, merry-jolly one, but I don’t want to say it too loud lest little ears get ideas.)  Am I alone in saying “how about some Mom time?” Seriously, wouldn’t it be nice if there were a day or two when we could all get together and learn important Mom stuff, commiserate and find inspiration, get goody bags (goody bags: trick or treating, Mom-style!) and other perks such as complimentary stroller cleanings, work-out classes, and make-overs… all while keeping the kids thoroughly entertained? Sounds like a Mommy oasis in the parenthood desert, doesn’t it? Just about the only thing that could make it better would be if we could get you in free. Guess what? Wish granted! The Los Angeles Mom Expo is next week and we’ve got your tickets now! Sign up on our Rafflecopter giveaway and you could be one of 250 lucky winners of a family four-pack of tickets! (Just get your entry in by Friday) Score!

We now return you to our regularly scheduled pumpkin-mania…

Fall festival’s abound this weekend. No matter where you live in Westchester you won’t have to travel far to reach one. Catch the Pirate School show at Hartsdale’s Spooktoberfest for Kids on Saturday or make fresh cider and stuff a scarecrow at the Greenburgh Nature Center’s Fall Festival on Sunday. Muscoot Farm is hosting its Autumn Celebration on Sunday and Pound Ridge is gearing up for HarvestFest on Saturday where you can listen to live music by the Smithereens and enjoy a New Orleans style parade.

Bronxville will be bustling this weekend with an Oktoberfest for Kids at the Bronxville Public Library on Saturday and a Children’s Halloween Festival in the village on Sunday. Larchmont will be swarming with guests all weekend as well with their ragamuffins parading on Saturday and the Sheldrake’s Fall Festival on Sunday.

Other ragamuffins will be marching down their main streets in Tarrytown and Chappaqua. Before everyone parades around Chappaqua, enjoy the festivities of the Annual Carnival at the train station.

Throughout the entire weekend, you can visit the Old Dutch Fest in Sleepy Hollow where the kids can get a chance to play music on a mobile carillon and dress up in Dutch period attire while the adults can sample some pumpkin ale and grilled brats! The Dutchess County Fairgrounds comes alive this weekend as well with the NY Sheep & Wool Festival.

On Saturday, join Mommy Poppins for a Haunted Halloween Sail with Dr. Blood! Tickets are still available so be sure to book yours soon!

Read on for top weekend picks. If you see something interesting, click through to the event listing to view full details. Looking for more options? Be sure to check our Event Calendar for more fun happening this weekend and beyond.

They say it takes a village to raise a family, but few parents these days live in such small, tight-knit communities. Fortunately, the wonders of technology can help create a virtual village where parents can turn to other parents for support, information on events, and even gently used clothes and toys.

The only thing scarier than a haunted house or hayride is a bowl of tempting Halloween candy in my kitchen. Between that and my son's peanut allergy, I have to be very careful with treats. This year, I might start a new tradition. Check out our post on a No-Candy Halloween: Non-Edible Treats to Hand Out on October 31.  It is a great way to keep the holiday safe for everyone. 

There is no shortage of activities heading up to Halloween, and we've got you covered with the best events around the state in our October Go List . You'll want to read our guides to pumpkin picking in Eastern Connecticut, Halloween Happenings and Parades in Fairfield County and the CT Halloween and Fall Fun Guide. This weekend the leaves will be at peak. Enjoy some of these scenic Fall activities in Litchfield County. Our events calendar is always updated with the latest happenings, and here are suggestions for this weekend!