Most families host at-home holiday parties in December. But in my house (make that jam-packed two-bedroom apartment), Halloween is when we throw our big annual shindig. Although my Halloween parties have changed over the years from adults-only spooky suppers with deadly cocktails to more family-friendly affairs, the haunted holiday still gets my creative juices flowing. We host a kids' party every year, and my son and his friends always look forward to it—in fact they usually start asking me about it on the first day of school!

While some aspects of our party remain the same from year to year—revelers come in costume (yes even the parents) and candy is handed out—I try to switch up activities so it's never the same celebration twice. In a few weeks, we'll be hosting our seventh annual party, so I have a lot of tips and ideas for families who want to throw their own Halloween party—yes, even in a tiny New York City apartment.

This week promises to be a grand time for fans (or fans-to-be) of The Boxcar Children, with a festival this weekend in Connecticut and a book giveaway right here on Mommy Poppins Boston! Read on for more about the festival and how to enter the contest.

Chug – a –Chug – a…BOO?  This Halloween train concept is a new one for me, and I can’t tell you how excited I am to check these out with my kids.  Last year my 4 year old and I took a Metro North train from Stamford to Greenwich (a ten minute ride) and she thought it was the greatest outing ever.  Wonder what she’ll think about some of these Halloween train adventures?

This week we were all about Halloween. Not only have we updated most of the posts in our NYC Halloween Fun Guide, our New Jersey and Connecticut sites launched their own guides filled with the kind of holiday fun you can only find outside the city, like haunted train rides and massive corn mazes.

If the Bronx Zoo's Boo at the Zoo is on your must-do list this month, you'll want to enter our Boo at the Zoo giveaway—we'll be posting the winners on our Facebook page on Saturday, so make sure you enter by Friday! It's also the time to sign up for FREE fall swimming lessons for kids. The Parks Department is holding an online lottery for spots through Tuesday, October 16.

Finally, since we often look to our readers for inspiration, information and new ideas, we'd like to hear your thoughts about some exceptional events Mommy Poppins is planning on hosting in NYC. Please take our very short survey so we can find out what kinds of activities you're interested in and what neighborhoods are most convenient for your family.

Here's what we covered on the NYC this week:

While the summer months are full of free outdoor shows, once fall arrives theater moves inside and ticket prices go from zero to unaffordable. That's why we were so excited to find out about Urban Stages' Outreach Octoberfest, a festival of FREE family performances that takes place throughout the month.

Urban Stages has a 20-year history of touring productions to local schools and libraries, and you can catch a bunch of those offerings over the next few weeks, including Blown Away by Poetry, which my daughter and I saw earlier this year at the New York International Fringe Festival and just loved. The lineup is quite diverse. In fact the only thing these shows seem to have in common is that they're all kid-friendly and educational. If that makes you roll your eyes, don't worry: From what I've seen, Urban Stages' shows are quite engaging and are as entertaining as they are enriching. Plus during this fest, you'll find interactive offerings for younger kids on the weekends, and more mature history-based productions for middle-schoolers on weeknights.

Missing those tastes of summer? BBQ is just as delish in the fall! Whether it’s Texas, Kansas City, Memphis, North Carolina or Portuguese style, barbeque is a fantastic choice for a family outing. From ribs to chicken sandwiches; sweet tea to mac & cheese, the variety of menu options will satisfy all taste buds. While New Jersey may known for its diners and pizzerias, there are plenty of garden state options to whet your appetite for some finger lickin’ good food and southern hospitality!

This weekend, the circus comes to town; Ben Rudnick and Friends kick off the Regent Theatre’s Family Fun series; Big Joe the Storyteller performs at Barefoot Books; and harvest festivals take place from Rockport to Newton, from Concord to Hingham.

Our best bets for the weekend are below, and be sure to check our Event Calendar for plenty of other things to do. And stay in touch with us on Facebook and Twitter for giveaways (there’s still time to enter the Mister G ticket giveaway!), updates and tips on family fun.

And what would October be without Halloween? The fun for kids is getting underway in and around Boston - we have some not so scary fun for younger kids, as well as highlights of Salem’s Haunted Happenings. You’ll find all our Halloween posts in our new Fall Fun Guide - a single place you can go to find everything fall, from pick-your-own pumpkins to parties on the farm, from fall museum exhibits to Halloween fun.

Enjoy!