It's been a few years since Halloween fell on a school day (not to mention a school night). But if your kids didn't get trick-or-treating out of their system over the weekend at various parties (or if their festivities were totally snowed out on Saturday, which felt more like Christmas than Halloween), you can still celebrate on Monday night.

We've rounded up awesome family parades, spooky parties, cool haunted houses and, of course, great places to score candy. And here's the real treat: All of them are free or very inexpensive. So grab your little ghosts and goblins—or in my case, a flying squirrel—and hit the town. Whatever you decide to do, try to arrive early and plan for crowds: Young or old, everyone in New York City loves Halloween!

Does anyone else think Halloween should be a mandatory three-day weekend? Especially with October 31 falling on a Monday. Even though you can get your fill of Halloween parties and costume parades over the weekend, my family still intends to trick-or-treat door-to-door on Monday evening... even though I know we'll pay for it on Tuesday morning.

While Halloween was definitely our theme of the week, we're already looking ahead to winter fun (although we hope we're not as bad as Duane Reade, which has had a Christmas section since, oh, about August). Many outdoor ice-skating rinks open for the season this week, and we reviewed Mystery at the Museum, which is a cool, interactive way to tour the American Museum of Natural History. Remember that when you're entertaining out-of-town holiday guests.

And that's just a bit of what's going on. Here's what we covered this week on Mommy Poppins in NYC, New Jersey, Long Island and Connecticut, as well as selected stories from our brand-new sites in Boston and Los Angeles.

When it comes to most things to do, NYC beats the suburbs hands down. Grocery shopping? Not one of them. Supermarket-deprived neighborhoods, walk-ups and lack of a parking (or even a car) make city shopping a challenge. For a long time FreshDirect has been a game changer for NYC families, but now there's a new option for online grocery shopping. This year, Peapod brought suburban grocery shopping to the City and I put it to the test.

Read on to find out how Peapod's new service in NYC stacks up to FreshDirect and how you can save a lot of dough on your groceries.

We’ve haled the haunted houses, prattled on about the parades and listed Halloween events until we’re Wicked-Witch-green in the face. But guess what? The main event is Monday so there’s more; more screams, more squeals, more spooky happenings, all weekend long. Creative Jack-o-lanterns on display, haunted hayrides, pet parades, and a freaky funeral reenactment celebrate this weekend's tricks and treats. Have fun and don't eat too much candy!

10/28 Update: It's supposed to rain and SNOW this weekend in NJ, so make sure to double-check that your weekend event is still happening!

Happy Halloween!

Boston families can enjoy a variety of Halloween weekend activities that run the gamut from the scary to the not-so-spooky. Check out our roundup of Halloween fun for events that have been happening all season, plus 20 free (and one almost free) events happening at local libraries, malls, and bookstores. And read on for even more coverage of Halloween events, plus performances by the Airborne Comedians and Stacey Peasley, Play Date at the ICA, the annual Classic Cartoon Festival, and more.

As always, if the weather is questionable, we recommend checking with the venue before heading to any outdoor event.

Keith Munslow Ticket Giveaway: Keith Munslow comes to the Regent Theatre in Arlington on Saturday, 10/29, and two Mommy Poppins Boston families can win free tickets to see his show, Songs and Stories, Cartoons and Comedy. Send me an email to enter. Winners will be selected by Friday at 2pm.

It's your last chance to get in on some ghoulish fun this weekend. The weather will be a bit more chilly than we've experienced so far this Fall so make sure to dress warmly. If you are wondering where you should trick or treat in Litchfield County we've covered that here. Whether you are looking for something spooky to do this weekend or not read more for our top picks. P.S. Don't miss out on apple picking before it's too late. Whatever you choose to do, have fun!

Check out our Events Calendar for all listings.

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Update: It's supposed to rain and snow on Saturday! Before heading to an outdoor celebration, check the event's official website to make sure it's still happening.

PS Check out our Cyberchase GIVEAWAY for our facebook friends on our FB page.

Start off your Halloween weekend with fun, food, festivals and trails in the forest! Yes, we’ve got a variety of fun activities and events for you and your family to participate in! For full coverage of Halloween events, keep our Halloween Guide in mind, and for this weekend, read on to see where the fun is. Keep in mind that we may get a bit of snow, so call any outdoor venue ahead to avoid disappointment. Have a happy Halloween.