All Weekend

Figment NYC 2011 – Governors Island
This über-creative, three-day festival is great for anyone who likes to appreciate or make art. Sponsored by the Figment arts collective (the folks behind the island's annual mini-golf course and sculpture garden), the fest promises activities in every medium imaginable. There's no set schedule; anything goes. In the past, families have made cookies, splashed around in big buckets of colored water, fashioned fairy wings, played limbo and frolicked in a tent filled with rose petals. FREE

Big Apple Barbecue Block Party – Flatiron
My summer just doesn’t feel right if I miss this festival. Pit masters from all over the country descend on Madison Square Park to sell their succulent smoky ribs, juicy pulled pork, mouthwatering sides, desserts and drinks to salivating foodies. The fest also features workshops, book signings and great live blues. Free admission, but plates are $8 each.

Daydream – Park Slope
PLG Arts revives its kid-friendly 45-minute version of A Midsummer Night's Dream in Prospect Park's Imagination Playground on June weekends. Afterward, stick around for free post-show activities or splash in the awesome fountain. FREE

High Line Section 2 – Chelsea
The highly anticipated extension of the elevated park is finally open! New attractions between 23rd and 30th Streets include The Lot, which is currently showcasing the installation Rainbow City, featuring 40 colorful inflatable "sculptures," one being a bouncy house. Since this section just opened this week, expect crowds! FREE

13th Annual Staten Ireland Irish Fair – Staten Island
The Columcille Irish Cultural Center celebrates the Emerald Isle with nonstop traditional and contemporary Irish music and dance performances. For the wee ones, there's the Land of Leprechauns, which features an inflatable slide, bouncy house, obstacle course, face painting, balloon art and puppet shows. $10 for adults, children under age 12 enter for free, but Land of the Leprechauns costs extra: $10 for an all-day wristband.


Saturday, June 11

Seining the River Wild – Dumbo
Learn about the eco-system living under the Manhattan Bridge. Staff from the Coastal Marine Resource Center help kids catch, log and release fish and other East River creatures. All materials provided. FREE

Country in the City – Inwood
The Dyckman Farmhouse, an 18th-century Dutch structure turned museum, is one of the oldest buildings in the city. Today it hosts an open house, with local artists working in the ½-acre formal garden. Tour the house to learn its fascinating history and how the neighborhood has changed. FREE

11th Annual Vintage Police Car Show – Financial District
Auto aficionados can check out the cool vehicles parked outside of the New York City Police Museum, including old cruisers, paddy wagons and well-known cars from TV cop shows. FREE

10th Annual Nature Fest – Staten Island
The National Park Rangers and the Staten Island Museum celebrate the natural diversity of the borough with beach combing, efficient fire making demos, local geology workshops and kiddie fun like bubbles, arts and crafts, and a magic show. FREE

4th Annual Long Island City Bike Parade – Long Island City
Families can pimp their rides then show them off in a colorful cycle parade, which begins at Socrates Sculpture Park and ends in Queensbridge Park with a festival. FREE

5th Annual Family Day – Harlem
Explore everything Swindler Cove Park has to offer, including a children’s garden, urban forest and Manhattan’s only saltwater marsh. Educators from MoMA will be on hand with art project for kids, and there will also be nature hikes, gardening demos, live animal shows and games. FREE

Bronx River Festival – the Bronx
Enjoy a fun-filled day on the banks of the picturesque Bronx River with canoeing, bike riding (free loaner cycles will be on hand), nature scavenger hunts, sports, games and live music by Irka Mateo. FREE


Sunday, June 12

Egg Rolls & Egg Creams Festival – Lower East Side
A merry mash up of the two ethnic groups predominantly associated with this neighborhood. Experience both cultures at this annual block party, including Yiddish and Chinese lessons, Chinese opera and acrobatics, and Klezmer music performances. Of course as the name implies, there will be delicious noshes, too. FREE

David Weinstone and the Music for Aardvarks Band – Carroll Gardens
The first kids' music fest of the summer, the Carroll Park Concert Series, kicks off today with two of the city's top tot rockers: AudraRox and David Weinstone. FREE

MetLife Second Sundays for Families - How do we solve problems? – Queens
Tour the innovate installation Ghana Think Tank in Corona, which suggests that people from different places can create solutions for each other. A camper full of artists will cruise Corona, Queens to learn about the neighborhood's problems, then a think tank in Ghana will try to solve them. The folks behind the project will then attempt to implement the ideas. After the tour, families can engage in hands-on art projects at the Queens Museum of Art. FREE


Outside of NYC

Strawberry picking season is here! Check out the Mommy Poppins Strawberry Picking Guide to find farms on Long Island, New Jersey and Connecticut that let you pick your own.

Long Island's Benners Farm throws its annual Strawberry Festival this weekend. Watch as Mr. Benner hand-cranks his own berry-filled ice cream, then take a taste. $6 for adults and $5 for kids.

Travel back in time at the annual New Jersey Renaissance Fair in Bordentown. At the gate: $20 for adults, $12 for kids. Save $2 if you purchase your tickets in advance.

In Connecticut, try geocaching at the White Memorial Nature Center. Don’t know what geocaching is? Read our post on the topic.
 

Don't forget: There's even more fun to be found in the Mommy Poppins Event Calendar.

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