I've had David Bowie's "Changes" playing on a loop inside my head all week. No, my kid's not an angsty teen (not quite yet, anyway). It's because we upgraded the server for our sites, which caused some things to be a bit wonky. Everything seems stable now but if you see something weird, let us know by leaving a comment on our site or Facebook page. We'd really appreciate that.

Of course the changeover didn't stop us from kicking off Halloween month with posts about kid-friendly haunted houses and the top 10 Halloween happenings for NYC families. We also published October Go Lists highlighting the absolute best things to do throughout the month in NYC, New Jersey, on Long Island and beyond. With the long Columbus Day weekend coming up, some of these special out-of-town events may inspire a day trip, or you could always go pumpkin picking. (You can try for apples, too, though we hear most of the orchards are out already.)

Over on our Travel site, we've got a roundup of fall travel deals. Plus our founder, Anna, launched a series of posts chronicling her weekend getaway to the Bay Area, including the best things to do in San Francisco with kids and family-friendly wineries in Napa Valley.

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

With October comes the beginning of Halloween season, and all month long there are parties, festivals, parades and haunted houses throughout Westchester and the Hudson Valley. We’ve populated our Event Calendarwith a ton of these festivities (as well as a variety of non-Halloween events for when you crave diversity), so take a peak and plan ahead. There’s a lot to take in!

The Rivertowns, with the strong association with Washington Irving’s “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” go all out for Halloween, with month-long events that start this weekend like The Great Jack O Lantern Blaze and The Legend Behind the 'Legend'. For the older kids there are plenty of haunted happenings including Horseman’s Hollow and Scared by the Sound.

The season of fall festivals continues with Harvest Fest, as well as Warwick Applefest, which returns for an all-day celebration of apples—and much more! If instead of apples you’re in a pumpkin kind of mood, try All Things Pumpkin. Or, while you’re soaking up the remaining days of warm weather, indulge in a Family Campout. Also consult our guide for scenic autumn drives to enjoy the splendor of the season.

Read on for our top weekend picks. Looking for more options? Be sure to check our Event Calendar for more fun happening this weekend and beyond.

Welcome to October and lots of fall fun, feasts and festivals. For apples head to the Pumpkin Fest in Yaphank. If the weather forces the family indoors, head to the theater to see Cinderella in Elmont. Be sure to check out our Halloween Guide for tons of seasonal fun across Long Island.

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October is upon us, and so is the beginning of the Halloween season. From Jack-o-Lanterns in Providence to Lanterns in Salem, many spooktacular events open this weekend and continue all month long. Fire Safety Week begins with events at the Boston Children's Museum and the Brookline Fire Station. Theater fans can watch The Frog Prince at the Puppet Showplace Theater or catch the Berenstain Bears live at the Wilbur Theatre.

We are very excited to announce the winners of our Boston Kids Who Really Rock contest at the Boston Kids Really Rock festival this Sunday. The festival and parking are both free, and there are plenty of other great reasons to take your kids to the music and arts festival of the year.

Coming up next week, don't miss the Biggest Baby Shower Ever. More than 100 of the best companies in the baby industry will be at the Back Bay Events Center. There will be games, prizes, and opportunities to meet other new and expectant mothers. Oh, and I'll be there too, so be sure to stop by the Mommy Poppins Boston table to say hello. To get the scoop on Big City Moms, the host of the Biggest Baby Shower Ever, check out our interview with the company's founders.

Also on Mommy Poppins Boston this week:

• Bored at the bus stop or while standing in line? Karyn gives us 10 Things to Do with Kids While you Wait.
• The Appalachian Mountain Club takes us to New England Pumpkin Patches with Bonus Fun for Families.
• Ally gets creative and teaches us how to make Fall Acorn Paintings with Toddlers as part of our Wee Work series.

Be sure to check out the full events calendar for more fall Boston fun!

This is a weekend of the weird and the quirky, the spooky and the ooky. Things popping up unexpectedly, nothing where you expect it to be, and surprises at every turn.  What has put such mystery in the air?  Is it the end of the summer and the beginning of the Fall? The approach of our most spooktacular holiday season? Or maybe, just maybe, it's the renovations our site is undergoing which might lead to some extraordinary and/or unexplainable results. For which we apologize and/or say you're welcome.

There is also much going on to leave you inspired.  It is a weekend filled with compassion, and hope, and giving back. Whether there's an angel on your shoulder, or a Mustang in your garden, this is the kind of weekend that reminds us that LA is really just our own little hometown. Grab your bike or take a stroll, say hola to your amigos and listen to the music of your neighborhood.

You know what else? Pie!  And Hot Wheels!  Let the October fun begin!

Keep reading for our most perfectly placed picks for the weekend...

If you went to the One Family Music Festival last year, you have a pretty good idea of how rockin’ the Boston Kids Really Rock music and arts festival will be.  Conceived of and organized by the very same visionary, Karen Kalafatas of Karen K and the Jitterbugs, the festival will feature many of the same wonderful Boston bands and community-building activities for families. What you may not know is that Boston Kids Really Rock is going all out with Dan Zanes as headliner and special guest Father Goose. The festival's focus is on sharing messages of kindness, creativity and community spirit with Boston kids. Mommy Poppins Boston will announce the winners of our Boston Kids Who Really Rock contest at the festival, too. We're excited to celebrate local kids and tell the inspiring stories of how they are making a difference in their communities. 

If that’s not enough to convince you, keep reading for the top five reasons to make some time in your schedule and take the kids to the Lawn on D this Sunday for a glorious day of community, music, arts and family fun. 

One of the great things about raising kids in Fairfield County is proximity to New York City and the wealth of cultural activities on offer there in a variety of price ranges (check out this post for suggestions on the Best 5 Off-Broadway Shows for NYC Kids). But as fall heats up with back to school activities and weekend soccer games or football jamborees, sometimes it's nice to be able to stick close to home and explore the local theater options--lucky for us there are quite a few!