So far this summer, we've posted FREE outdoor movie screenings, FREE kayaking, and FREE things to do every day with kids in New York City. Now we're rounding up our favorite and (mostly) FREE family festivals and city street fairs going on in the month of July.

Two of our favorite annual fests take place this month: the big Bastille Day street fair on the Upper East Side, and City of Water Day at South Street Seaport and other locations around town. But that's just the beginning. We've rounded up lots of other options, including Come Out & Play Family Day and Back to the Beach in Staten island.

So go grab your calendar (and check ours frequently)! Here are the best sizzling summer fests for New York City families.

For quality family time, there are few places more magical than Long Beach Island on the Jersey Shore. This 18-mile barrier island has everything you could want in a summer vacation with the kids. Whether you're after a low-key beach getaway or a high-energy, action-packed weekend trip, the Island has it all.

LBI beaches offer the best of both worlds: the waves of the Atlantic Ocean, and the calmer waters of the Barnegat Bay. My family has been coming here since I was born, so I may be biased, but this Jersey beach truly is the best place for some family fun in the sun. Often less crowded than other popular shore towns in New Jersey, it still feels like a hidden gem. Read on for top tips on visiting Long Beach Island with kids.

Seeing a puppet show is not only one of the many fun things kids can do in Downtown LA, it's an experience that a child will remember for life. Here in LA we are lucky to have our local treasure, Bob Baker Marionette Theater, the oldest children’s theater in Los Angeles. Although the founder passed on a few years ago, the puppets carry on his legacy, walking, running, and dancing in front of their audience—and even reaching out to little audience members to pat heads and shake hands. Put your kid's iPad away, because this slice of LA history offers real interactivity that is sure to delight.

Here in Connecticut we love fireworks so much that the shows start as early as late June and continue throughout July! Kick off summer with a bang with our roundup of more than 40 (!) CT pyrotechnic displays in honor of Independence Day. As always before heading out, check the weather forecast and parking restrictions, especially at beaches. Some venues allow nonresidents to pay for parking on-site, but others require that passes be purchased in advance at a separate location.

Summer is here, and while the end of school can be a relief, the new challenge is to keep the kids busy seven days a week! But filling those long days can get pricey—fast. Fear not: We’ve been hard at work identifying tons of FREE things to do with the kids that will keep them entertained all summer long—and we're not just talking about crafts. We found multi-cultural festivals, admission-free days, magic shows, outdoor yoga, astronomy nights, animal encounters, historical sites, and loads more.

Read on for 50+ of our favorites below, but also note that our Event Calendar is your BFF all season, because we keep adding to that frequently, so it’s always worth a gander. Want more that’s FREE? Bookmark our guide to year-round FREE things to do and sign up for our newsletters.

North Carolina is home to top notch colleges, bustling cities, fun towns tucked into the Blue Ridge Mountains, and some of the best beaches on the East Coast. Most of these beaches are a far cry from the bustling carnival-like atmosphere of the boardwalk towns in the Jersey Shore, and others take a bit more effort to get to than you might expect, but they’re definitely worth it. Wild horses, cute seaside towns, and a dose of southern charm make North Carolina a great beach destination for you and your family.

Keep reading for our top picks for family-friendly beaches in North Carolina.

Our list of 25 things to do in Harvard Square with kids includes two stops at Harvard University's museums, and with good reason: They encompass loads of fascinating collections! So many in fact, it might be hard to choose which one to hit first. When planning a visit, it's important to keep in mind that the options for exploring these museums are almost endless. If you've only got an hour to burn on a weekday, you can stop by one of the smaller museums, or plan a full weekend day that includes one of the larger museums and a lunch break at a nearby restaurant. You can even make your own museum week by visiting a different one each day.

Who's ready for some rockets' red glare? LA and Orange County's many communities compete for sky space on July 4th, launching fireworks willy-nilly at the stroke of 9pm. From the mountains, to the valleys, to the ocean, Angelenos have plenty of directions to look on Independence Day. Whether your plan is to book a fireworks cruise, to lay a blanket in a park, or to close all the windows and try not to wake the baby, it helps to know where those firecrackers are being aimed. Below is a list of locations lighting up the night sky on the 4th of July (plus one or two on June 30). We'll keep adding more right up to the day!