This weekend, authors, scholars and book lovers of all ages come together at the Boston Book Festival; the Greatest Show on Earth® comes to town; the Old South Meeting House raises an antique bell to its tower; and harvest festivals take place from Rockport to Newton, from Concord to Carver.

Below, we’ve highlighted a wide range of weekend events and activities, and be sure to consult our calendar for more things to do in the greater Boston area. You'll also find some great ways to satisfy the scare-seekers in the house, as well as places to head for pumpkin picking. Enjoy! As always, if you visit these places, please let us know about it by replying in our comments section, below.

Congratulations to Mommy Poppins Boston reader Robin, from Billerica. She and her family have won the Family 4 Pack to see Cathy & Marcy on Saturday at the Center for the Arts in Natick. Enjoy the show!

October?  Seriously?  If you ever doubt how lucky we are to live in Southern California,  all you have to do is take a look outside.  It’s going to be a gorgeous weekend, and we have all the activities for you to fill it with.

Once again, we are spoiled for choice with things to do. Southern Californian families can celebrate music and art, party with dinosaurs, spiders, or sea creatures, eat to their hearts’ content and learn the secrets of creating comic books.  And we can do it all in the blazing sunshine.

Continue reading to see some of our top choices for this weekend...

This weekend we have loads of Halloween and Fall events. So much so that we have categorized the Fall Festivals into their own post. If you are interested in the numerous Halloween themed train rides they are listed as well. This is the last weekend of the CT Renaissance Faire so don't miss out if you've been wanting to go. Scarecrow making, roller skating, haunted graveyards, Halloween Musicals, it's all happening this weekend! If apple picking is on your agenda we've got you covered. For those in Fairfield County we have a special Halloween event post. Read more to see our top picks. Be warned, there's a lot to choose from! Don't forget to friend us on facebook and follow us on twitter! 

Halloween season is here! Are you scared yet? Well, you will be once you see how many fantastic Halloween events there are to choose from this weekend. The New York Aquarium transforms into an Ascarium, Staten Island hosts a costume parade for dogs, and the Bronx has a Haunted Pumpkin Garden and Boo at the Zoo.

Of course there's plenty of non-holiday fun, too. Enjoy fall festivals in Rockaway, Greenwich Village's Jefferson Market Garden and Madison Square Park. Or if NYC architecture is your thing, check out OpenHouse NY and the Historic House Festival, which are teaming up this year to offer a slew of free tours and activities. Plus, the New York Comic Con invades the Javits so expect costumed characters to take over Midtown.

And that's just a few of the great things going on this weekend. Read on for all of our picks and remember, you can find additional options in our Event Calendar, our Fall Fun Guide and our Halloween Guide.

The leaves are finally changing and beauty is all around us. This will be the last weekend full of Fall festivals before the Halloween craze officially takes over. Fall festivals consist of the stuff that makes great family memories. Hay Rides, apples and pumpkins, pie eating contests, car shows, you name it. Read below so that you can find a festival that suits your fancy this weekend!  

Ready for some fun this weekend? In addition to our 10 Best Halloween Events for Kids on Long Island and Best Haunted Houses on Long Island for Kids, we've got pumpkin carving contests, apple festivals, adventures with Hansel and Gretel and fairy house building.  Read on to see what other fun activities lie ahead for Long Island families this weekend.

And if you are looking for a pumpkin patch, check out Pumpkin Picking Farms and Corn Mazes on Long Island.

Not that we need another reason to love Turtle Back Zoo, but we were given one anyway. It’s called “The Treetop Adventure Course”, an awesomely challenging obstacle/ropes course set 35 feet above ground. This is serious exercise and serious fun for the whole family. You want to make a memory with your kids? Strap on a harness and climb through the trees together.

By Monica Nika

As the cool October winds chase withering leaves down our streets at night while the pale lights of Halloween jack-o-lanterns flicker on the porches neatly decorated with frost-bitten mums, let's remember the 'real' ghosts and tell the stories of the 'truly' haunted places of Western Connecticut.  Read Connecticut's 'truest', spookiest and saddest haunted tales below.