Weekly Wrap Up: Fall Festivals and Pumpkin Patches, Exerblast, Snowy Day, Free Weekend Events

9/22/11 - By Raven Snook

Despite the dreary weather, we've been feeling upbeat all week. On Wednesday, we celebrated the International Day of Peace with pinwheels for peace. (The photo above is from my daughter's East Harlem elementary school.) On Friday, fall officially arrives, which means we have lots of harvest festivals to look forward to. Plus, we found out that Mommy Poppins has been nominated as best local blog by Parents magazine! If you think we should win (and we hope you do), please vote for us at Parents.com. You'll need to register (boo!) but it really only takes a minute.

We're also really looking forward to this weekend. There are so many incredible annual festivals and events, like the amazing Dumbo Arts Festival and Smithsonian Magazine's Museum Day, when 35 NYC cultural institutions offer free admission. 

And that's just a bit of what's going on. Here's what we covered this week on Mommy Poppins in NYC, New Jersey, Long Island and Connecticut, as well as selected stories from our brand-new sites in Boston and Los Angeles.

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New York City

We continue to add posts to our Classes Guide. This week, we profiled two offbeat venues: The Brooklyn Strategist, equal parts game center and community-based social club, and Exerblast, a unique gym for families that mixes high-tech activities with traditional athletics.

Next, we explored the wonderful illustrations of beloved Snowy Day author Ezra Jack Keats at the Jewish Museum. 

In need of a moms' night out? Off Broadway show Love, Loss, and What I Wore is a great bonding experience for girlfriends and even offers cheap childcare!

October's just a week a way. We've rounded up harvest festivals, pumpkin patches and a corn maze... all right here in NYC.

This weekend is filled with free fun.

On Saturday, you can visit one of 35 NYC culture spots for free courtesy of Smithsonian Magazine's Museum Day.

On Sunday, Symphony Space kicks off its Just Kidding family performance series with a no-cost concert by Trout Fishing in America.

And all weekend long you can check out funky art and live performances at the Dumbo Arts Festival. See all of our best bets for the weekend.

New Jersey

Across the Hudson, our bloggers shared drop-off childcare options so you can have a great date night.

Kids into textile crafts? We've got a list of spots where they can learn to knit, weave, bead and more.

Things to do this weekend include the Tewksbury Harvest Festival in Califon, the Autumn Family Campfire at the Tenafly Nature Center and the Fairies and Wizards Festival at the Camden Children's Garden.

Long Island

Apples aren't the only thing to pick this season. Pumpkin picking farms abound on Long Island. 

Weekend highlights include the Fall Fair at Cold Spring Harbor Fish Hatchery and Aquarium, the Long Island Fair in Old Bethpage and the Fall Family Festival by the Sea in Lido Beach.

Connecticut

In CT, we spotlighted after-school programs for tweens and teens in Fairfield County.

More after-school assistance: We've got the scoop on free tutoring and homework help for kids throughout the state.

We also rounded up fun things to do with kids in Litchfield County this fall.

Weekend events include the Norwalk Boat Show, the Connecticut Renaissance Faire in Hebron and the Greater Danbury Irish Festival.

Los Angeles & Boston

If you're planning a trip to Los Angeles soon, get ready to be scared. We've got a list of kid-friendly haunted houses and tours.

Up in Boston, you can check out cool corn mazes. Our bloggers also shared their favorite apple recipes so all of your seasonal picking won't be in vain.
 

Cool Deals and Giveaways

Our Boston site is giving away tickets to the Cathy Fink & Marcy Marxer concert at the Center for the Arts in Natick on Saturday, October 15.

Our fall classes sale continues at Poppins Perks. We've got major discounts on a ton of amazing offerings, including chess, tennis, golf, Moey's Music Party, theater and more. Like all of our Poppins Perks, giving back is part of the deal: 10% of your purchase will go to a NYC public school classroom via DonorsChoose.org.