Fencing sometimes gets a bad wrap – plagued by rumors of violence, elitism, and big price tags. Don’t believe any of it! Kids know that fencing is cool because it’s kind of like what Johnny Depp does in all those Pirates of the Caribbean movies. Savvy parents know that it’s the favorite sport of Ivy League sports scholarships. Either way, it’s an extreme sport worth checking out.

Saturday is October 1... do you know what you're doing for Halloween yet? If you've got kids then you know that the holiday lasts pretty much the entire month. In fact, a handful of annual Halloween happenings like the Bronx Zoo's Boo at the Zoo and Hudson Valley's Great Jack O' Lantern Blaze kick off this weekend. (Yes, the pressure is on.)

This week we started to update all of our Halloween posts so that we can share the most up-to-date information. We're still working on it, so if you're wondering about the various annual parades and festivals don't worry: We will have the 2011 details for you soon.

Of course we wrote about lots of other cool, non-Halloween stuff, too, like the Children's Museum of the Arts' brand-new space, which opens to the public on Saturday. Here's what we covered this week on Mommy Poppins in NYC, New Jersey, Long Island and Connecticut, as well as selected stories from our brand-new sites in Boston and Los Angeles.

Let's start the first weekend of October off right. We've got festivals, arts and music events and plenty of outings listed here with yummy food and fun to get you up and out the house. We even have you covered if you are ready to start celebrating Halloween by visiting one of the best Haunted Houses on Long Island. Read on for the best picks of the  weekend!

And if your kids have caught a back to school cold, don't despair, our NYC site posted a helpful round up of Educational iPhone and iPad Apps for Kids that might come in handy if you are stuck at home.

Welcome to fall, NJ Moms and Dads. Hopefully by this weekend we will be able to put away our shorts and tank tops and pull out our jackets. Or at least a long-sleeved shirt. Octoberfests abound (plus one Catoberfest), festivals are everywhere, and there’s even some Native American celebrations to round out the fun. Oh, and most of it is free.  And “free” almost always equals fun, doesn’t it?

So what if we Upper West Siders can’t fire up the grill like our suburban friends? (Unless of course you've got one on your fire escape, like my neighbors do.) But really, who needs charcoal when we have so many tasty neighborhood havens serving up one of the most kid-friendly foods around: burgers.

The Upper West Side is a true carnivore heaven, with great places for families to fill up on this all-American favorite. Here are our picks for the best burgers in the area, all taste tested by my own family, which includes two ravenous, meat-eating teens.

It's official, we've gotten through the first few weeks of school and October has arrived. The start of Halloween fun galore and Fall festivals abound. This week we wrote about the new math exhibit at Stepping Stones Museum for Children called Cyberchase.  We also rounded up corn mazes and pumpkin patches. If you are craving some frightening fun check out our post on CT Halloween Train Rides. You'll either go on a scenic tour to an idyllic pumpkin patch or you'll be afraid of the monster lurking around the corner - so choose carefully! Enjoy the weekend round up and check facebook and twitter for more up to the date information. And don't forget to vote for Mommy Poppins in Parents Magazine's Best Local Blog contest!

The fall festival “season” is in full swing this weekend, and families can choose from among a range of large fairs, including the Topsfield Fair, opening Friday, 9/30 and billed as “America’s oldest fair” to the north and King Richard’s Renaissance Faire to the south, as well as festivals on Saturday and Sunday in Boston, Cambridge, and beyond.

The first of October heralds the first of many Halloween events, including a Halloween Screampark, a Haunted Ship, and a House of Horrors (with a Kiddie Haunted House option). Please check our calendar as we continue to add spooky-themed events throughout the month.

We’re still accepting entries for our Concert Ticket Giveaway - Mommy Poppins Boston readers have the chance to win a Family 4 Pack of tickets to see Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer at The Center for the Arts in Natick on 10/15. Just send me an email to enter!

Read on for some of our top choices this weekend. And a reminder - Mommy Poppins has been nominated by Parents Magazine in the Best Local Blog category. Please vote for us if you agree!

It’s official.  With the start of October, Halloween season is now upon us.

For those spookily inclined, Southern California offers a fearsome number of spine-tingling events. From Halloween hauntings at our numerous amusement parks to the pumpkin patches and corn mazes that mysteriously appear this time of year, our treat bags are flowing over.

Not every event this weekend is a spookfest.  Families can catch a morning concert on the pier, attend two different book festivals, or look in wonder at the stars.  In addition, we have the inside scoop on how you can score your kiddo a FREE veggie burger!

Continue reading to see what have we scared up for you this weekend, both spooky and sweet, and to find out how to get that FREE burger!