After visiting Concord Museum's annual exhibition Family Trees: A Celebration of Children's Literature for the first time last year, my family now has a new holiday tradition. Concord Museum celebrates the town of Concord's rich literary heritage year-round with exhibits featuring literary giants, and during the holidays, the presentation becomes even grander. For almost two decades, the museum has celebrated classic and contemporary children’s books with Christmas trees and wreaths inspired by those books. Each tree pays tribute to or brings a story to life in its own unique way. Here's more about the exhibition and what’s happening at the museum during the holidays, plus some tips for getting the most out of your visit with kids.

We wrapped up our extensive Halloween coverage this week with a few funny slide shows: creatively creepy Halloween displays around NYC (I really dig those skeletons lounging in lawn chairs), and some hilariously awkward pics of costumes from our '70s childhoods. If you're still trying to figure out what to do on October 31, we also rounded up the top 21 celebrations on Halloween night. And if you've had it with Halloween, don't worry: November kicks off this weekend and we've already got roundups of the best things to do throughout the month in NYC and New Jersey, and there's not an All Hallows' Eve event in sight.

I admit I don't leave NYC much (husband's a homebody, I can't drive and the kid is overscheduled), but after reading about Providence, Rhode Island's awesome WaterFire outdoor art installation, indoor carnival rides at West Nyack's Palisades Center and the audible geological structures in Pennsylvania's Ringing Rocks Park, I clearly need to get out of town more often. And clicking through the pics of Negril, Jamaica's all-inclusive resort Hotel Riu Palace Tropical Bay and the isle's luxury private villa rentals on our Travel site made me flirt with the idea of cashing out my 401K to take one heck of a family vacation.

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

We finish up our series of posts about Red Hook, Brooklyn with a roundup of our 12 favorite family restaurants in the waterfront nabe. While many folks I know appreciate the value of Ikea's .99-cent breakfasts and kids-eat-free Tuesdays, there are more eclectic options to fit all budgets.

Since Red Hook was originally populated by Italian and Irish dock workers, some newer restaurants pay tribute to that colorful history while others, like DeFonte's Sandwich Shop, actually date back that far. Meanwhile famous foodie "secret," the Red Hook Food Vendors, are celebrating their 40th anniversary this year. From homemade marshmallows to piping-hot pupusas to meat-and-cheese-filled heroes, these are my family's go-to restaurants when eating in 'da Hook.

Celebrate Halloween with these spooktacular events throughout Long Island this weekend. From pumpkin farms to trick or treating, fall festivals and more, these family friendly activities won't be receiving any boos from your crowd.

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Halloween may be on Friday, but the spooky fun continues this weekend around Westchester! Extend the All Hallow’s Eve fun with The Legend Behind The 'Legend', Scared By The Sound, Horseman’s Hollow and Jay Ghoul's House of Curiosities.

On the heels of Halloween comes Dia de los Muertos, a Mexican tradition and two local celebrations: Day of the Dead in Yonkers and Day of the Dead Performance & Reception.

Though Skull-tastic and Eerie Expo might sound Halloween-y, the first is a study of animals from the inside out, and the latter is a great opportunity to meet best-selling authors.

Other weekend highlights are an eclectic assortment of fun. Check out Antics Dance: Illuminated Manuscript, a storytelling and multimedia hip-hop performance or Watch Mr. Wizard, an interactive science event. If fairies are more your thing, drop in for tea at the Fairy Tea Party--a must for those who love to wear wings.

Be sure to visit our Event Calendar for other great events happening every day in Westchester and the Hudson Valley!

Start your November by celebrating the Day of the Dead in Arlington or Cambridge. If you aren't quite ready to say good-bye to Halloween, this weekend gives you one last chance to see the Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular and the Marini Farm Corn Maze. Or, if you'd like to say a very dramatic good-bye to Halloween, check out the Smolak Farms Pumpkin Smash.

In performances this weekend, don't miss the Billy Jones Band making music from everyday objects. TIm of Tim and the Space Cadets performs at the Coolidge Corner Theater. And the music of Woodie Guthrie comes to life in a puppet show. 

Also on Mommy Poppins this week:

• Have more Halloween candy than your family can (or should) eat? Tara has tips for making most of it disappear.
• We wrap up our focus on Providence with a must-read before taking your kids to WaterFire and highlights for families at the Culinary Arts Museum.
• Ally shows us how to make Cheesecloth Ghosts and a pumpkin bowling game as part of our Wee Work series.
• Mommy Poppins writers share their '70s nostalgia: Adorably Awkward Halloween photos from our childhood.

Enjoy your weekend and don't forget to check out the full events calendar!

Due to rain on Saturday, some outdoor events may be canceled or rescheduled. Before heading out to an activity, be sure to check on its official website to make sure it's still on. After eating all that candy on Friday night, your kids are going to have quite the sugar rush to burn off this weekend. And there are lots of great ways to do it, including two FREE Day of the Dead festivals and a few late Halloween celebrations, like Greenpoint's annual costume parade and party. (Meanwhile, if you're desperate to get all that excess candy out of the house, consider donating it to a good cause.)

Non-Halloween fun includes concerts by Dan Zanes at Symphony Space and Suzi Shelton at the central branch of the Brooklyn Public Library, a multimedia take on Sleeping Beauty at Lincoln Center and the opening weekend of the American Museum of Natural History's seasonal Butterfly Conservatory.

All of our best bets for the weekend are below. As always, you can find additional options in our Event Calendar. And if you're looking to plan our your entire month, check out the new edition of our NYC Go List highlighting the absolute best things to do with kids throughout November.

One of the biggest advantages to living on Long Island is having access to some of the best beaches on the entire East Coast. While those beaches are typically packed with sun-worshippers during the summer, they’re virtually empty in the fall—making them the perfect spot to enjoy the sights and sounds of the shore, as well as snap a few photos of the entire family.

Perhaps best of all, the above locations are free to visit (small fee at Bayard Cutting Arboretum) so there’s no strain on tight budgets and all are among the most relaxing places Long Island has to offer.

For more family-friendly events and activities, be sure to check out our Long Island Events Calendar.