Usher in the fall season in Westchester and the Hudson Valley with a host of family autumn festivals. The area's harvest celebrations are packed with seasonal activities for kids, including pumpkin fun, hayrides, apple-cidering, doughnuts, and more.

We've rounded up details on the best upcoming fall festivals in Westchester, several of which made our September GoList. And be sure to consult our guide to the best places for apple picking, many of which include festival-like added attractions.

Looking for more fall family fun? Get the most out of the season by subscribing to our newsletters and following us on Facebook. 

The leaves soon will turn and the smell of apple cider donuts and roasted corn will be in the air.

Soon, you’ll have to put on an extra layer to keep warm, but no one really will mind if it means enjoying a seasonal treat and spending some family time outside. It’s fall fairs and festivals season, and we’ve pulled together a list of some of the best this September and October, including a peek into Halloween fun. So grab a sweater and enjoy this in-between season before the real chill sets in.

 No matter where you live—Nassau, Suffolk, or the East End—fall on Long Island is beautiful, and there’s plenty of family fun to be had. Check out our fall fun guide for more ideas.

Whether you call them Grandma, Granddad, Nana, or Poppop, grandparents add an enormous amount of value to the life of a child. They're the best babysitters, treat sharers, spoilers, and we love them so. And what better excuse than Grandparents Day (September 9) to send the kids out for some fun with their grands...and get some time to yourself! To help you and the extended family out, we've rounded up some wonderful ways to celebrate grandparents. From sporting events to nature excursions, there is something for everyone. Keep reading to discover all the ways to show Mom Mom and Pop how much you love them this Grandparents Day. So, #DoSomethingGrand, #TakeAGrandie and make #GrandparentsDay special for the loved ones in your family.

There are a few things kids can do better than adults: cartwheels and crawling under beds, for example. And then there's learning languages. Kids have a huge capacity for learning languages that will never be as powerful and flexible later on as it is in the early years, and an increasing number of parents are taking advantage of that window by sending their kids to bilingual and dual immersion schools (and preschools). Southern Californian families are lucky to have an unusually wide variety of public school options to support raising bilingual kids. At a time when gifted programs, arts programs, and extracurricular classes have been cut from public school budgets at an alarming rate, parents can still seek out an extra enriching curriculum by choosing language immersion.

Relaxation and children’s activities don’t usually go hand in hand. This summer, we’ve enjoyed our fair share of adventure at arcades, trampoline parks, and all the indoor plays spaces that Fairfield County has to offer. But sometimes you just need to chill. As the seasons change and we head back to school, we're all feeling the need for a little R&R in a salt cave. Yup, a salt cave. 

It's hard to believe Labor Day Weekend is already upon us (sniff, sniff). If you, too, are feeling a bit nostalgic about another summer gone by, don't start singing the blues just yet. There are great ways for families to celebrate the unofficial end of summer in Westchester and the Hudson Valley, and much to look forward to as reported in our September GoList.

The headline event is the return of CORNucopia, loaded with corn-y fun of assorted varieties, and for alternatives to the customary barbecue, ways to honor Labor Day include the West Point Band's Labor Day Concert, replete with fireworks and a cannon firing. Soak up some of the summer's remaining outdoor concerts and films, including Worldfest, featuring the Viva Brazil Dancers. Families can also support a good cause and work off that summer ice cream at the Labor Day Race/Walk & Kids Fun Run, or browse the wares and meet the artisans at the annual Woodstock–New Paltz Art & Crafts Fair. 

These are just a few of our top picks—read on for all this and more. Be sure to check out our Event Calendar for more fun activities, and follow us on Facebook! Have a fun Labor Day Weekend!

If you're a parent of a child in public school, you live by the school calendar. Even many local NYC preschools follow the public school schedule. As the first day of school in NYC approaches (Wednesday, September 5...but who's counting?) you'll want to bookmark the New York City Department of Education's calendar for the 2018-2019 school year.

Keep this list handy as you start making next year's family vacation plans! With the exception of the occasional unplanned snow day or case of the sniffles, these are all of the dates you can count on your kiddos being out of school.