With Memorial Day weekend around the corner, the countdown to summer is on! NJ is hopping with great family activities around the entire state to keep your crew entertained, educated, and hopefully, exhausted. There's the Great Swamp Scavenger Hunt, Garden Party, Mayfest, Bluegrass and BBQ Festival as well as Free Admission to Morris County Museums just to name a few of the great events.  And you can also find a listing of all NJ activities for kids in our Event Calendar.

From Bugs to Banjos, Los Angeles has it all this weekend.

Reminding us that LA is just a collection of small towns, locals can celebrate at neighborhood festivals in Santa Monica and Hollywood.

Think you’re alone in your hobby?  Not in this town! We’ve got festivals this weekend that celebrate interests of all kinds!  Whether you’ve got a bee in your bonnet for bugs, or you’re silly for strawberries, there are tons of other eccentrics folks who think they're swell, too. There are hoedowns for those who sing the praises of strings, both the fiddling and puppet-wielding variety.  And if you’re all about getting out and moving, you can find like-minded folk traveling by foot and by sea.

Think your hobby eclipses them all? You might be right, if you’re gazing skyward. We’ve got two places to view this weekend's solar eclipse, (just don’t look directly at it!)

Keep reading for our favorite picks for this weekend.

There’s plenty of fun and free things to do in and around Boston this weekend. From EarthFest at the Hatch Shell, the Franklin Park Kite Festival, and the Hot Dog Safari on Saturday to the Mystic River Herring Run and Paddle on Sunday, the weekend is filled with festivals and celebrations. Read on for more of our weekend picks, and be sure to check our Events Calendar for more ideas.

Looking for more things to do? We have plenty of ways to keep your kids busy outside: cycling trails, routes and tours; some of our favorite farmers markets in town, and al fresco dining options that are also kid-friendly. And we’d love your feedback for an upcoming post on stroller-friendly places to take little ones for a walk - email, post on Facebook, or comment below.

Enjoy!

This week our calendar of events is FULL of great events all over the state. Lucky for us it is suppose to be sunny and beautiful all weekend! Beardsley Zoo celebrates its 90th birthday this weekend with fun surprises for visitors all day long. Lyman Orchards is hosting Connecticut Day in Middlefield. CT-made treats, family activities as well as jam making demonstrations are sure to make this a fun foodie event. In Stamford head out to the Spring on the Farm Festival Weekend at the Stamford Museum and Nature Center. In West Hartford its Farm Day at Westmoor Park. Baby animals, hayrides, games and more will make this a fun outing.

Do you like festivals? Well good, because there are a bunch of exciting ones this weekend. Vehicle-obsessed kids can get their fix at two Touch-a-Truck fests and animal lovers can hit the Fleece Festival in Prospect Park. Introduce your kids to all kinds of ethnic eats at the Ninth Avenue Food Festival, show off your moves at the New York Dance Parade and rock out to mom bands at the annual Mamapalooza Extravaganza.

Speaking of music, two kiddie rock heavyweights are playing this weekend: Laurie Berkner and Dan Zanes. Other indoor fun includes screenings of the classic French short The Red Balloon and a free performance by the Paper Bag Players.

All of our best bets for the weekend are below. Remember, there are even more options in our Event Calendar and our Spring Fun Guide.

The Meadowlands, once a punch line to many NJ jokes, is now a beautifully landscaped, wild ecosystem.  This Northern New Jersey destination has enchanted many visitors as an urban oasis. The transformation of the one-time landfill is a history, environmental and health lesson all rolled into one, a perfect balance of city life and wildlife…with a few highways in between. From hiking a short trail to visiting the outlets, exploring the Meadowlands is the perfect day trip for any local family.

We recently brought you a round-up of Long Island Farmers’ Markets sure to inspire even the pickiest eater to eat a crisp, fresh market veggie. The next stop on your kid’s nutritious, culinary adventure is a visit to the actual farms where many of the fruits and veggies sold at the markets are grown. Many of these farms offer families the opportunity to “pick-your-own” fruits and vegetables which is yet another great way to inspire your kids to appreciate the delicious and nutritious fruits and veggies grown right here on Long Island.

While some baby swans are making their NYC debut, a handful of local family businesses are singing their swan songs, including Scribble Press' Upper West Side location, which closes this month. Of course we've got good news, too, including new ways to get to Randall's Island this summer, a cleaned-up Chinatown Fair Arcade and a star-studded Story Pirates comedy benefit—and if none of those put a smile on your face, well, just look at those cute baby swans!