Things To Do in Westchester this Weekend: Fall Fests, Halloween Train Show, Hastings Spooktacular

Submitted by Susan Miele on

Head to the Heritage of West Nyack Fall Festival on Sunday for living-history demos, a magic show, pumpkins, and much more. Photo courtesy of the festival

Halloween fun is on the rise in Westchester and the Hudson Valley this weekend with the addition of the Hastings Spooktacular Weekend, plus the continuation of all the other big Halloween events throughout the month. Adding to the holiday hullaballoo is the return of the annual Lasdon Park Halloween Train Show, featuring added Halloween attractions including a pumpkin maze.

Numerous alternatives to the Halloween craze are also on tap. Among the fall festivals taking place this weekend, the standout is the two-day New York Sheep and Wool Festival, which features exciting workshops and live entertainment specifically for kids, as well as such eccentricities as llama acts. Or experience the cultural arts with a performance by the Krasnoyarsk National Dance Company of Siberia. A couple of STEM programs take place on Sunday, including Westchester Children's Museum's Chem-Palooza.

Read on for our top weekend picks, but know that there are many more options to choose from on our Event Calendar (it was hard to pick only a handful to showcase!). Our October GoList is another great resource to plan the rest of the month.

Montclair Art Museum Is Perfect for a Kid-Size Culture Fix

Submitted by Margaret Hargrove on

The outdoor art at the Montclair Art Museum makes for an awesome photo op.

The Montclair Art Museum is a great place to introduce kids to the visual arts. My 6-year-old daughter and I moved to Montclair last year, and when a Sunday afternoon opened up on our calendar recently, we finally got a chance to visit. Even my very active daughter, whose idea of culture is cheese (as in Chuck E.), was eager to go inside the big building she sees on our frequent trips to the Whole Foods right across the street.

To be honest, art museums plus kids doesn't always equal a successful day of art appreciation. For me, it's more about exposing my daughter to art and culture, even in small (or local) doses. That being said, the Montclair Art Museum absolutely did not disappoint! Plus, a visit to MAM makes a great post-brunch stop during a family-friendly day in Montclair.

Read on for our day—well, 90 minutes—at this awesome Northern NJ museum.

Socrates Sculpture Park: A Hidden (and Free) Gem in Queens

Submitted by Fiona Taylor on

Part garden, part outdoor art museum, Socrates Sculpture Park in Long Island City, Queens is free and open to the public every day, year-round.

It’s a total cliché to say something is a hidden gem, but in the case of Socrates Sculpture Park in Long Island City, Queens, it’s hard to find a description that’s more apt. For years, I drove right past the park, which is somewhat concealed behind a tall fence on Vernon Boulevard and Broadway, on the way to my daughter's school. Finally, my family decided to investigate.

We weren’t expecting to find a five-acre, open-air art park with amazing views of the East River and Manhattan. The artwork on display changes regularly, and visitors can easily spend a day here wandering among the sculptures, sunbathing, reading, or strolling the gardens.

Best of all, Socrates Sculpture Park is totally FREE, and is open year-round for amazing waterfront views, public art, and cool family-friendly programs and events. Read on for even more reasons why you should go. 

Things To Do in Chicago This Weekend with Kids: Open House, Arts in the Dark, Halloween Parties

Submitted by Siobhan Adcock on

Arts in the Dark is a magical evening parade that celebrates Halloween as the "artist's holiday". Photo courtesy of the event

It's a big weekend for Halloween parties around Chicagoland, as little ghouls and ghosts prepare for the big night of trick or treating. Join the free neighborhood Halloween party fun at Bloomingdale or Roselle, dress up for Monster Madness in Lisle, do the monster mash at the Mr. Dave Baby Rave, or dive in to a Halloween pool party. York Center in Lombard transforms into Hogwarts for a Potter-themed Halloween party, and Bolingbrook rolls out its annual free trunk or treat event. There's even a deliciously scary Halloween event for bigger kids only in Naperville. 

There's still time to pick your future jack-o-lantern at pumpkin patches around Chicago, plus a few in the city this weekend at Sheridan Park and Humboldt Park. And kids will love watching glowing gourds take to the water at the free Pumpkin Flotilla Fest in Glen Ellyn.

On Saturday, bring the kids to Maggie Daley Park for the big fall festival, followed by the eerie enchantment of the moonlit Arts in the Dark parade. Fall harvest festivals are cropping up (see what we did there?) in Naperville and at Jesse White Park this weekend, too. 

And this is the weekend Chicago's landmarks and famed buildings open their doors for free exploration as part of Open House Chicago—note that some locations require free advance registration to visit. The Open House Chicago Family Festival at Pritzker Pavilion makes a helpful home base for exploration.

For more ideas, see our weekend event roundup below, and our ever-growing event calendar. 

Top 10 Things To Do at the EcoTarium, the Interactive Science Museum for Kids Near Boston

Submitted by Caitlin Dowling on

The EcoTarium encourages kids to make their own scientific discoveries. Photo courtesy of the EcoTarium

Spoiled as we are by world-class museums in Boston, it can be easy to overlook smaller, suburban spots like the EcoTarium Museum of Science and Nature in Worcester, MA. But a recent visit to the EcoTarium proved that this unique science museum belongs on every Massachusetts parent's must-visit list. Just a short drive from Boston, the museum offers both indoor and outdoor activities, including interactive exhibits, live animal habitats, nature trails, and more. It's ideal for a day trip, but if you have limited time, we'd recommend hitting these 10 exhibits—plus one bonus seasonal activity (think: bubbles!)

Got super curious kids? Check out our guides to the Museum of Science, Boston Children's Museum, Discovery Museums of Acton, and more in our Boston Museums Guide.

Things To Do in NJ this Weekend: Halloween Events, Cranberry Festival

Submitted by Laurie Rein on

Dress in your Halloween best and head to the beach for the Cape May Halloween Parade on Sunday. Photo courtesy of the event

It's a boo-tiful pre-Halloween weekend in New Jersey, with a full roster of celebratory festivities. It's never to early to start collecting goodies at trick-or-treat events like Boo at the Boardwalk and Boo at Cohanzick Zoo. Get in the Halloween spirit at a local bash, including Westfield's Addamsfest and the Cape May Halloween Parade. Or celebrate in a unique way on the Halloween Express or at Allaire's haunted village.

Halloween is not the only cause for celebration this weekend. Revel in the season at harvest events like the Chatsworth Cranberry Festival, Hoboken Harvest Festival, and Thompson Park Day.

Check out our Fall Fun Guide for NJ Kids and our Halloween Events and Guide for NJ Kids for more options, including the Ultimate Halloween Guide for NJ Kids. And look to our October GoList and event calendar for a complete listing of happenings this weekend and beyond.

Looking for a Preschool in Chelsea? Start Here.

Drew Kristofik's picture Submitted by Drew Kristofik on

Avenues: The World School. Photo courtesy of the school

Are you just a parent, standing in front of a preschool, asking it to let your child in? We know that sometimes conjuring the right preschool fit is almost as daunting as getting your kid into the right college, but the odds are excellent that you'll find a great spot for your little one, and if you're in the Chelsea neighborhood, you're in luck. This famously family-friendly downtown NYC neighborhood offers plenty of wonderful options for preschool-searching parents.

Before you launch your hunt for a preschool in the Chelsea neighborhood, it helps to know what kinds of questions to ask on a preschool tour, and how other NYC parents decided on a preschool. There are also a few terms to know: Our list below sorts preschool options by type, including Traditional Preschools (which follow the NYC school calendar), Year-Round Preschools (which are in session during the summer and holiday breaks), Cooperative (which requre a time investment from parents), Dual-Language (Mandarin and Spanish preschools are popular), Religious, and Montessori or Reggio-Emelia (which both focus on child-led learning). ​

And even though it is strongly recommended that your start your search early (at least a year in advance), remember that spots do open up. Ask about wait lists if you're late to the process or new in town. Good luck!

Kids' Consignment Shops and Sales on Long Island

Submitted by Linda DiProperzio on

ChickenKids is a modern, upscale four-day consignment event held in Riverhead two times each year . Photo courtesy of ChickenKids

Whether you're stocking up for school clothes or dressing up a wee one that changes in size every couple of months, kid clothes can really add up. Luckily, there are kid-centric consignment shops and special sales across Long Island, where you can buy barely (or never) worn kids’ items at a discount. You can also sell your own gently used items to get some extra cash.

For more ways to your family can fun together without breaking the bank check out the affordable activities listed on the Long Island Events Calendar.

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