It's finally here: the first official weekend of spring! As the weather slowly catches up with the calendar, the weekends are beginning to provide more and more excuses to be outside and savor the almost seasonal temperatures. We are finishing up the St. Patrick's Day holiday with parades in Mystic and Greenwich, and the countdown to Easter is officially under way with the Easter Bunny in position and ready for photos at Stamford Town Center, Westfarms, and the Shoppes at Buckland Hills among other locations.

If the warmer weather has you looking ahead to summer, be sure to check our Summer Camp and Day Camp Guide as some of the more popular options are filling up quickly (our handy guide to Summer Camp Open Houses is a good place to start).

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Without further ado, here are our suggestions to get the most fun out of this weekend.

Regardless of what Mother Nature has in store (fingers crossed for warm weather!), it's the first official weekend of spring, which means the arrival of seasonal favorites like the Macy's Flower Show and NYC Easter Egg hunts. 

There are also two circus spectaculars in town: UniverSoul Circus in the Bronx and the Bindlestiff Cavalcade of Youth in Brooklyn's Coney Island. Other weekend highlights include some of our top picks for March, including visual art and dance production Hakanai at BAM.

These are just a few of the great things going on this weekend. All of our best bets are below. As always, you can find more options in our Event Calendar.

This weekend in Westchester is a great time to be out and about with your family, as there’s a lot happening all over the county! The fun can be grouped into three main categories: St. Patrick’s Day, shows and art.

Though St. Patty’s Day took place earlier this week, it isn’t time to pack up your “Kiss Me I’m Irish” garb yet! The fun continues at the Yonkers Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade or Annual Sound Shore-Mamaroneck St. Patrick’s Day Parade. 

As for shows, there are a bunch of appealing performances to choose from: Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival’s Macbeth, Fly Guy & Other Stories, Sammy Cortino: Magic to Rock and Free Concert: Yonkers Philharmonic.

For programs featuring the visual arts, get inspired at Open House and Free Arts Day, Museums at the Library Day or Celebrate Turkish Culture: Water Marbling Demonstration.

But wait—there’s more! Read on for even more fun events this weekend, then click through to our Event Calendar for even more events, both this weekend and beyond.

The arrival of spring isn't the only thing greening NYC these days! We've got details on a contest to improve school green spaces. Plus, Ringling Bros. plans to retire a controversial act, one NYC public school completely reimagines homework, destination kids' stores on the move and, just as things are warming up, Disney won't let winter go with confirmation of this sequel.

Warmer weather is just around the corner and springtime often brings with it resolutions to get active and stay fit--great ideas for the entire family! Along with indoor play spaces and kids-only gyms, Westchester also has several choices for families who want to get all of their exercising done in one fell swoop. While many local gyms have nurseries or playrooms where little kids can hang out while their parents work out, several have gone one step further and created sports and activity programs to keep kids busy while parents pound out miles on the treadmill or try to master those impossible double-unders.

Several fitness centers throughout Westchester offer comprehensive programs for kids that include everything from dance to cheerleading; sports to CPR training. Read on for details on keeping the whole family fit and active.

Spring is officially here! Those days we've been dreaming of, filled with fresh flowers, afternoons at the playground, and sunshine are just around the corner! Lot of fun happenings in NJ this weekend: Celebrate Easter a tad early with an Easter Bunny Breakfast at Imagine That! Children’s Museum, dress up in your Anna & Elsa best for the Frozen Ball at Liberty Hall or take in a playful performance of Skippyjon Jones at Paper Mill Playhouse. And if you’re itching to get outdoors, check out the Earthcache Discovery Trail event at Liberty State Park, gather round a Spring Campfire at Tenafly Nature Center or head to Maple Sugar Sunday at the Miller-Cory House. For even more weekend fun, check out the full list of weekend activities in our Event Calendar.