Sometimes it just makes more sense to eat out on Thanksgiving. Heading out to one of these fine dining establishments is sure to guarantee a memorable and hopefully delicious holiday feast. Litchfield County isn't the most populous county and that shows in the limited number of restaurants there may be in any given town. That being said, there are some incredible dining experiences to choose from. Listed are some of the best Litchfield has to offer on Thanksgiving Day. We've also rounded up some popular restaurants in Fairfield County and Hartford County.

North Hollywood is on everyone's maps but not everyone's radar. The just barely Valley neighborhood has been experiencing a Renaissance over the past decade, growing into an arts hub proud of the nickname NoHo. The small theaters of the NoHo Arts District have banded together this year to establish the first ever NoHo Fringe Festival, which takes place throughout the month of October and into November, at a variety of venues. A few of the Fringe productions are family friendly, including one that couples Fringe with Halloween to create the uniquely October offering, Wizards and Fools.

Almost a century after it was first published, Margery Williams' 1922 picture book, The Velveteen Rabbit, continues to endure as a classic that's beloved by kids and adults alike. While the story about a toy rabbit who longs to be real has been adapted as a stage play numerous times, Atlantic for Kids opted to turn it into a world premiere musical. Going in I feared it might be cheesy, that singing and dancing would ruin this delicate tale. But as my 7-year-old daughter observed at the end, "It was simple but so good."

There are so many places your kids can wear Halloween costumes this weekend—assuming you have your costumes. Which I do (not to brag). You can wear them at the Zoo (We did that last week! Way fun!). You can wear them at the Natural History Museum (to trick-or-treat—free candy for being ahead of the game and having your costume early). You can wear them to the Disney Store's Halloween Dress Rehearsal (where you can not only wear this year's costume;  you can plan ahead and buy next year's costume while you're there—score!).

(Psssssst! You there, with the kid: if you don't actually have this year's costumes yet, your kids can totally wear something from last year. It's not like they have an expiration date on them, am I right? You can use this weekend to augment your costume with accessories or masks, or trade your way to a new and improved pre-loved costume. There are even events in malls, where rumor has it you can sometimes use money to buy things.)

And who says you have to wear a costume at all? Halloween is still two weeks away, and there are tons of events without an orange and black color scheme. Hello, Cirque du Soleil in Costa Mesa!  Hey there, CicLAvia in the heart of LA! What's cookin, CAKE Expo, also in Costa Mesa? Seriously, what up, Costa Mesa?  Didn't you get the memo about Halloween?

Keep reading for our most festively adorned picks for this weekend....

The chill in the air, colorful piles of leaves and blooming chrysanthemums are all indications that October is here in Philadelphia. But the surest sign of the season is our Events Calendar as it is filled to the brim with fall fun. There are fall festivals, apple celebrations and pumpkin picking opportunities this weekend.

After making your apple pie and picking your pumpkins, consider a visit to the Academy of Natural Sciences for its Philadelphia Shell Show or head to Chestnut Hill College for its Harry Potter Festival & Quidditch Tournament. On the other hand, if you have completed your fall fun list already and want an escape, consider checking on one of the many consignment sales going on in the area.

Read below to find our weekend highlights and be sure to sign up for our newsletter to be delivered directly to your inbox every Thursday morning. Enjoy the weekend!

Fall into family fun this weekend with a wide array of events and activities that will keep your group entertained. Check out amazing carved pumpkin displays at Rise of the Jack O'Lanterns, watch The Avengers at the Flick & Trick Festival and talk a walk through haunted woods at Spooky Fest (just to name a few).

Be sure to peruse our complete roundup of Fall Fairs and Festivals. And with Halloween fast approaching, you'll also want to check out our Halloween Guide for plenty of spooky (and not so spooky) fun with the kids.

Don't see your event listed here? Add it to our events calendar. And if you don't receive this post in your inbox, subscribe to our newsletter. 

If your kids love witches, ghosts, and candy as much as mine do, you'll want to take advantage of some of the fun Halloween activities going on this weekend. Most of these events are fine for all ages, but the smaller tykes might really dig the special trick-or-treating at Stone Zoo while the older kids trek through a Haunted Trail (pictured).

It's also high time to start getting creative with costumes, and you can jump start that creative thinking at several free art events this weekend. From a family museum day to art classes to workshops at a comics expo, we've got you covered.

Also on Mommy Poppins Boston this week:

• These New England pumpkin festivals offer wonderful fall fun for families.
• If you're looking for trick or treating alternatives, look no further!
• Spooky adventures are lurking around every corner at these unique haunted houses and trails near Boston.

Enjoy your weekend and don't forget to check out the full Event Calendar!

Here we are in mid-October, when Halloween is just around the corner and fall fun peaks. In addition to all the big Halloween events recurring throughout October, there are also numerous local festivals celebrating autumn and Halloween, including the Children's Halloween Festival and Halloween Carnival and Ragamuffin Parade (see also our roundup of other ragamuffin parades happening in our area). Perhaps the granddaddy of all festivals this weekend is the two-day NY Sheep and Wool Festival, which features fiber-arts workshops and such eccentricities as llama acts.

This is also an exciting weekend for those who love dance, with the Krasnoyarsk National Dance Company of Siberia taking the stage and a unique museum Family Day program inviting the public to Celebrate Dancers Among Us. For more theatrical highlights this season, consult our hot-off-the-press guide to the best family fall performances in Westchester so you can claim the performances and seats you want.

Read on for our top weekend picks, visit our Event Calendar, and check out our October Go List for our top choices for the rest of the month!