It’s time to get in the autumn spirit! New Jersey is welcoming the beautiful month of October in a big way with dozens of family-friendly activities to help you make the most of the season. Get your fill of all things pumpkin during Pumpkin Palooza 2015 at the Garden State Discovery Museum, the Holmdel Harvest Festival at Bayonet Farm or the 15th Annual Pumpkin Festival at Whippany Railway Museum. For more fun to round out your fall weekend, get tickets to the Harvest Moon Hayride at Alstede Farms or bring your little reader to the Morristown Festival of Books. Whatever you decide to do this weekend, we hope you enjoy it with family and friends. For even more activity options, check out our Event Calendar .

Attention feline lovers, Brooklyn now has its very own pop-up cat cafe. Earlier this year we told you all about Meow Parlour, NYC's first cat cafe. Now, Brooklynites can head to The Cat's Meow in Fort Greene to meet, play with—and possibly adopt—some very adorable cats and kittens. Naturally, a cat cafe is a huge hit for kids and families, so we decided to check it out. Read on to find out what to expect, when to visit and other useful tips.

UPDATE: This cat cafe moved into permanent digs in spring 2016 at 149 Atlantic Avenue (between Clinton and Henry Streets). It's now known as Brooklyn Cat Cafe.

In a simpler time, sending our kids to school was easy; people mostly sent their children to the local public school. But as test scores drop and class sizes increase, parents are increasingly interested in looking at alternatives. Here in Los Angeles, there seems to be a new private or charter school opening every day, including science magnets, language immersion and arts focused schools. Joining the options this week is the STEM3 Academy, a high school specializing in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math for children with social or learning differences; the school's open house on Tuesday includes a special screening of Most Likely to Succeed, a lauded documentary about the state of education in America. Get educated about education and then discuss your findings over a free coffee and donut at Krispy Kreme's National Coffee Day.

October kicks off mid-week, and hints of Halloween are in the air. Stop by Barnes & Noble for Spooky Story Halloween. Rejoice in the season at the Great Pumpkin Festival, and Trailside’s Hayride & Campfire. Plus, get your thrills and chills at Six Flag’s renowned Fright Fest. And don’t forget to check out our Event Calendar for even more options!

As we welcome in October this week, there is so much fall fun for kids of all ages. From fairs and festivals to the launch of the Rise of the Jack O'Lanterns, families can start to celebrate the season in a variety of ways.

Looking to get a jump on Halloween activities? Check out our Halloween Guide. Also, be sure to visit our Long Island Events Calendar often. And if you want events sent directly to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter

Fall is most decidedly in the air, and we've got some ideas to make the most of it this week. Want to avoid the weekend crowds picking apples or pumpkins? Weekday visits to local orchards and farms are generally less crowded, but check for hours before you go.

It's also the perfect time of year to check out the Native Voices exhibit at the Boston Children's Museum (pictured). My kids especially loved the basket-weaving and native food activities that helped them learn about local tribes.

Finally, when the calendar turns to October, all kinds of haunted happenings crop up, so keep an eye on the full Event Calendar for the scoop!

There is a lot to love about 24th Street Theatre. The team behind this homey little playhouse is passionately devoted to education, to neighborhood outreach, and to a different kind of children's theater. Most of the the shows 24th Street produces are not public events, because the company devotes most of its resources to programming for local schools. But when this team decides to launch a public production, you can count on it being inventive and thought-provoking. 24th Street is not a place to see another Saturday morning Snow White; it's a place for ground-breaking theater that takes kids along for the ride. The last show we saw there, Walking the Tightrope, delighted so many families that Center Theater Group picked it up for an extended run. The company's latest production, Man Covets Bird, may follow the same path.