Back in July, we wrote a post about Summer Play Streets, blocks that are temporarily closed to traffic and opened to fun in neighborhoods throughout New York City. Play Streets are a great way for kids to get out there and run around, especially in communities that don't have easy access to high-quality parks and playgrounds.

Play Streets are sponsored by various nonprofits like the Police Athletic League and the NYC Parks Department. Transportation Alternatives—an organization dedicated to reclaiming urban streets from cars for cycling, walking and playing—helps residents request Play Streets for their communities. This week, T.A. is holding free info sessions with everything you need to know to get a Play Street in your area for summer 2013.

We spent the week filling up our Fall Culture Guide and we're very excited about the season ahead of us. In addition to our roundup of the best family concerts that we published last week, we added posts about cool kids' shows and awesome harvest festivals right here in NYC.

Of course, if you want a truly authentic fall experience, considering hitting one of these huge harvest fests in New Jersey. Combine it with a trip to a NJ pumpkin patch and you've got the makings of a great fall day trip. If you're planning on going apple picking this season, we shared some easy apple recipes and crafts (better than letting them rot in your fridge).

With a four-day weekend because of the Jewish New Year and Columbus Day weekend on the horizon, be sure to check our Travel site, which just launched a comprehensive Family Guide to the Poconos with posts about the best restaurants, attractions and things to do in the area. Or how about Long Branch, New Jersey? Our NJ site posted about this often overlooked beach town that boasts lots of fun for families.

Here's what else happened this week on the NYC site.

Fall is in the air; can you feel it in the mornings and evenings? Long Island is in the swing of it, hosting lots of fall festivals and celebrations. There's a fall festival at Hallockville in Riverhead, the 2012 East End GreenFest in Mattituck, and it's Cow Harbor Day in Northport. As always, be sure to check our events calendar this weekend and every day for lots more activities. It's going to be a beautiful weekend; get out and enjoy it!.

As a mom who started letting her own nine-year-old son take the city bus home by himself in fourth grade (and received quite a bit of flack for it from other parents), I've been a longtime fan of Lenore Skenazy, the blogger behind Free Range Kids who gained notoriety for doing the same. For years, Skenazy has encouraged NYC parents to let their kids get out and run around by themselves—and now she's suggesting parents pay for the privilege.

This week, Skenazy launched a series of unsupervised playdates for kids. For $350, she won't watch your kids as they romp around Ancient Playground in Central Park one Wednesday a week after school through November 7. How's that for a bargain? Can you hear the outraged cries from where you are?

Doesn't it seem like just last week we were talking about the end of summer and now all of a sudden it's New Year's. Wow. Where did the time go?  I need to hire a sitter, book a reservation, and ...oh.  The Jewish New Year,  Rosh Hashanah. That's different. Well, bring on the apples and honey, because we've got some great ways to celebrate the holiday with your kids. (And some camps for them if the school holiday has left you in the lurch).

But this weekend is not just about Rosh Hashanah. If you're thinking less honey cake, more baklava, we've got the Pasadena Greek Festival for you. If your calendar says Independence Day (as in Mexican), head on over to Olvera Plaza for Fiestas Patrias. Scandinavian and Thai cultures get feted this weekend as well, and you can take a musical trip 'round Russia way at World City. You can even pay tribute to our coastal friends the lobsters (ingestion is the sincerest form of flattery after all).

Keep reading for some of our favorite picks for this weekend...

The kids just went back to class and already public school students are looking at a four-day weekend thanks to Rosh Hashanah (a.k.a. the Jewish New Year). If you're celebrating, L'shanah tovah! If not, there are plenty of fun-filled activities to keep your kids happy, like Little Italy's annual Feast of San Gennaro, the sweet Honey Festival in Rockaway Beach, Brooklyn's Flastbush Frolic and a giant Soccer Fest on the Upper West Side.

This weekend also brings offbeat cultural experiences like outdoor shows by the politically-charged performance troupe Circus Amok, a free music workshop in conjunction with the Czech Center's interactive Orbis Pictus - Play Well exhibit and a concert by one of our faves, Gustafer Yellowgold.

And we're very proud to announce that one of our special needs writers, Alison, is giving a free talk about her favorite apps for children with special needs at the Upper West Side Apple Store on Thursday night. The timing is perfect since we just launched our Special Needs Guide.

That's just a bit of all the great things going on this weekend. All of our best bets are below. You can find additional options in our Event Calendar.

By three my daughter was ordering decaf Earl Grey with milk, accompanied by a chocolate chip cookie, astounding waiters with her sophisticated palate. She and I have enjoyed the ritual of high tea since she was a toddler, and although we love setting up our own tea set, or using my grandmother’s bone china, we also love to explore new tea shops. To our delight, there are many on Long Island that specialize in the tea experience.  Several also cater to children, with special menus and miniature teacups and plates for their small hands.

This year, Rosh Hashanah begins on September 16 at sunset, and lasts until September 18 at sunset. Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year and on this holiday apples and honey—which represent ‘a sweet new year’—are generally enjoyed, along with a rounded challah which represents the circle of life. This was one of my favorite holidays as a child, and still is--and not just because I have a sweet tooth. To me, Rosh Hashanah feels like a new beginning, for myself and my family.