Weekend Round Up in CT: Strawberry Fest, Children's Film Festival, Tom Sawyer Day, Fiddle Contest and so much more!

There are so many fun and free events this weekend it's a pity we can't do all of them. It's a good weekend to find free activities especially since Saturday is the 7th Annual CT Open House day and most museums will have free admission. Check the link out to find out who.

As far as festivals go we've got a lot to list this weekend. All weekend long you can attend the International Festival of Arts & Ideas in New Haven. On Saturday, there's a Free Family Health Fair in Norwalk, a Strawberry Fest at Lyman Orchards and a Children's Film Festival at Yale. In Hartford on Sunday you can check out the Keney Park Sunday Showcase Series.

Fiddlers from Canada to the Carolinas will be competing at the New England Fiddle Contest here in CT. In Middlefield you can see Jaguars at the Jaguar Car Show or if horses are more your thing the
Second Company Governor's Horse Guard
invites everyone out for a day of fun.

Big Apple Circus Ticket Give Away in CT!

This year the Big Apple Circus's  new artistic director makes his mark with the theme Dance On! which leads to a fun, fast paced show. Jugglers, contortionists, lasso tricks, you name it, this show keeps moving with one surprise after another.

We're teaming up with the Big Apple Circus to offer one lucky family a set of four tickets to have a grand ol' time with Grandma Clown and the crew. We'll also send out a discount code to our CT newsletter subscribers providing them with a $15 discount per ticket.

The Prize: A family four-pack of tickets to "The Big Apple Circus" at Mill River Park, Stamford, CT on Thursday, June 16th for the 7pm show.

How to Enter: To enter the contest you must email me below telling us that you either joined our CT Mommy Poppins Facebook page, twitter'd this contest into cyber-space and/or subscribed to our newsletter. Comments must be entered by 7pm on Monday, June 13th. Winner will be drawn at random and notified on Tuesday June 14th. Please leave your contact information when you email. If you do not respond to our email notification within 24 hours, another winner will be drawn. Email addresses of entrants will not be collected, sold or otherwise abused.

The  performance lasts 2 hours, including intermission. Children under 3 are free when they sit on the lap of a paid adult. One child per lap.

Weekly Wrap Up: Free Kids' Concert Series, Circus! at NY Hall of Science, Free Swimming Lessons

Break out your bathing suits! Whether the kids wear them at the beach, in the sprinklers or during the (hopefully brief) showers we're expecting over the weekend, they'll be covered.

Although spring officially has a few weeks to go, summer heat and fun has already arrived. Local libraries just launched their Summer Reading 2011 programs, many free outdoor concert series for kids and adults have kicked off their seasons, and the Parks Department has set the dates for its free swimming lessons lottery.

And that's just a bit of what's going on. Here's what we covered this week on Mommy Poppins in NYC, Long Island, New Jersey and Connecticut.

Circus! Science Under the Big Top at the New York Hall of Science

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls: Step right up! The circus is in town, and you're invited to join them!

If you've ever wanted to walk a tightrope, somersault in midair or play lion tamer, your fantasies will be fulfilled at the interactive exhibit Circus! Science Under the Big Top, which opens this weekend at the New York Hall of Science.

Families can also learn all about the science behind the spectacle, including how carnie folk swallow swords and contort their bodies, and why cotton candy smells so good (at least to kids). In addition, Circus! features tons of vintage photos, big top legends and lore, and cool artifacts from the heyday of the traveling troupes.

Here are some of the derring-dos you can try (or learn about) when you step into the ring.

NJ Weekend Events June 11-12: Rubber Duckies, Crafting for Dad, Stone Soup and Lots o' Music

New Jersey’s hills (and towns) are alive with the sound of music this weekend!  Take in Celtic sounds in Cape May, rock’n’roll in Hoboken, Girlchoir in Lawrenceville and local teen bands in Berkeley Heights. Rather race? Take your pick: rubber duckies down the Passaic River or cockroaches at the Bugseum–both for charity.  You can also try your hand at museum gallery sketching in Montclair or get a jump on Father’s Day with a knot-tying fest or wallet-making workshop.  Or see “Stone Soup” as never before in a Papermill Playhouse show created specifically for children with autism spectrum or other developmental disabilities. Whatever your pick, you’ll be whistling dixie at day’s end!

Things to Do for Kids and Families on Long Island June 11-12: Adventures in Nature, Furry Frenzy, Free Fun and More

It's official, we are slowly but surely getting closer to summer. Some might feel from the high temperatures this week that we have already arrived! Warmer temperatures means more outdoor fun and we got some great events and activities to get you outside to soak up some Vitamin D. Have fun exploring and learning about undiscovered parts of nature, celebrate wildlife with wolves (friendly) and butterflies or take part in a sing-a-long with a bunch of roving pirates. Yep, pirates and butterflies in the same post. Get ready for an amazing weekend!

Free and Fun Things to Do for NYC Kids and Families: High Line Section 2, Big Apple Barbecue, Figment June 11-12

Feel like it's too hot to leave your home? Don't worry: Come this weekend we're looking at temperatures in the 80s and showers (which, frankly, we'll take over this blistering heat!).

Besides, you can't stay home. There's too much to do! Section 2 of the High Line has finally opened, the Bronx River Festival celebrates the borough's waterfront, Madison Square Park's Big Apple Barbecue Block Party and the Lower East Side's Egg Rolls & Egg Cream Festival serve up awesome eats, and the super-cool Figment arts festival takes over Governors Island. And of course you can always hit a New York City beach, water playground or boat ride to cool down.

Read on for this weekend's best bets, and remember, the Mommy Poppins Event Calendar lists many more options. One warning: The rain may dampen some outdoor activities this weekend, so be sure to call ahead or visit the events' official websites to make sure they're still going on.

Ice Cream on Long Island, We've Got the Scoop

It's inevitable. I'm pregnant. It’s hot. I am officially an ice cream hunter. But, I’ve been particularly picky about the selection process. Great for local shops on Long Island that specialize in making their own ice cream, bad for my poor husband who has to go out to get it for me! But he can’t deny it either. Long Island’s ice cream shops are a true novelty. Whether it’s the fact that the ice cream is homemade, or that each morning the waffle and sugar cones are made from scratch as well, or maybe it’s the nostalgia that those mom and pop shops evoke. We’ve rounded up some of the best spots for ice cream on Long Island. Chances are, you’ll see my husband at one of these picking up yet another daily round of ice cream for me. Read on to see where to go this summer to cure your ice craving.

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