It's hard to believe that October arrives this week! Fall is a super busy (and super fun) time in New England. There are only so many Saturdays and Sundays to go around so today we're highlighting a few popular weekend outings that also happen to be open during the week, such as the Lyman Orchards Corn Maze and Pumpkintown, a non-scary Halloween experience that will delight particularly younger children. You can find lots of other ideas in our jam-packed Event Calendar and our Halloween and Fall Fun Guide. Enjoy your week!

Food trucks are all the rage and, luckily for us, they are popping up all over Fairfield County. You might have already spied one in a parking lot while running errands or saw a few trucks by your favorite farmer's market. Just because you're out with the kids doesn't mean you can't get in on the game! Kids like things with wheels and you like good food, so there's no reason to settle for the same old stuff when you're eating out. 

There are a lot of great trucks out there, so we've rounded up a few that are sure to be a hit with kids and grown-ups alike. Check it out!

Good news for budding Makers everywhere: A nationwide series of Mini Maker Faires will arrive in NYC this fall. A partnership between Barnes & Noble and Make: Magazine will bring mini workshops that encourage kids to experiment with technology like robotics and 3D printing to city stores November 6-8.

Of course, don't forget that the massive World Maker Faire kicks off on Saturday, September 26, in Queens at the New York Hall of Science. (It's a Mommy Poppins September GoList and top weekend event pick.) 

A weekend workshop is one thing, but Mayor Bill de Blasio wants to make sure NYC kids have access to computer science every day with a new city school initiative. Read on for the scoop on this and other parenting news this week, including Midtown's new food hall and the best ways to navigate city streets during the pope's visit.

Clothing and toy swaps are such a New York City necessity. Buying brand-new clothes and toys every time your tot outgrows something (that often still has the tags on!) just doesn't make sense. It's environmentally unsound, and wastes money and space, something we NYC families already have too little of. Luckily, a number of neighborhood and city groups offer family-friendly swap events where you can trade in gently used children's items for new-to-you finds. It's easy—and painless on your wallet.

We've got the scoop on the top swaps in the city so you can find the right one for your family.

This weekend, we moon you six ways to Sunday.  We're going to fool moon you, harvest moon you, and blood moon you; we're going to moonrise you,  Chinatown moon you, and now-you-see-me, now-you-don't, lunar eclipse moon you. We might even moon you in other ways, but pics or it didn't happen, capiche?

And because nothing is more welcome when the Earth is plunged into total darkness than a visit from those eight-legged creatures of the class arachnida, we're gonna throw in some spiders for good measure. Lots of them. Roaming free. Possibly hungry for blood, possibly not. Definitely creepy crawly.

And though the sky may or may not be falling, it is in fact fall, so throw back a few pumpkin lattes and reconnect with the earth. Start plotting which autumn harvest train ride, pumpkin patch, happiest spookfest in So Cal you're going to hit. (It's never too early to break out the costumes, and no one has ever looked a free treat in the mouth).

Did some one say free treat? Hello! Free coffee and donut! Who loves ya, baby? Mommy Poppins, that's who; to the moon and back!

 Keep reading for our mooniest picks for this weekend....

We’ve been hearing about it for weeks, maybe months. The Pope is visiting Philadelphia! Whether you are venturing into the city for the Festival of Families, the Papal Mass or exploring the Religious Liberty exhibit at the National Constitution Center, it is a once-in-a-lifetime experience not to be missed.

However, if you’d prefer to avoid Philly altogether, the suburbs have much to offer this weekend. Explore a Smithsonian Museum such as Glencairn Museum, National Toy Museum or Delaware Museum of Natural History as they celebrate Smithsonian Magazine Museum Day Live. Or, embrace nature at Linvilla Orchards' Apple Festival, Bucktoe Creek Perserve's Children I-Spy Birding event or Riverbend Environmental Education Center's Play is Natural children's program.

Below are our top weekend picks but be sure to browse through our events calendar to find additional ideas. Whether you spend your weekend in the city or out in the suburbs, enjoy!

The lineup of cool activities going on as part of ArtWeek Boston is enough to keep our calendars full this weekend. With all kinds of exhibits and performances, including some specially designed for kids, families can make a day of it in and around town. Whether your little ones like to rock to great music, listen to a storyteller, or explore performing arts, you can find it this weekend.

If you're looking to get the family outdoors, Sunday's full moon or an afternoon at a harvest hoedown might offer the perfect respite from the back-in-school craziness. 

Also on Mommy Poppins Boston this week:

• One of these local theater classes might be the perfect thing for any budding thespians in the house.
• Fall is here, and the season brings with it plenty of fun things to do!
• It's time for one of our favorite fall traditions: Pick your family's perfect pumpkin at one of these pumpkin patches.

Enjoy your weekend and don't forget to check out the full Event Calendar!

Fall is in full swing with a number of outdoor carnivals, rides, fare and family fun. Be sure to check out our complete roundup of Fall Fairs and Festivals. And with October fast approaching, you'll also want to check out our Halloween Guide for plenty of spooky (and not so spooky) fun with the kids.

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