For years, I've had a serious addiction that I've now passed on to my daughter: We both can't get enough of live theater (hey, there are worse things to inherit). Thankfully, we live in NYC, where shows are plentiful both on Broadway and Off, plus there are many theater companies mounting eclectic productions specifically for family audiences.

The award-winning New Victory Theater in Times Square is one of the best of the bunch. I've been taking my nine-year-old daughter there since she was a toddler, because the New Vic consistently offers entertaining and engaging shows for all ages, from babies to grown-ups, at reasonable prices (tickets typically top out at $38). But the New Victory is much more than just a place to go see a show. Through a range of interactive educational activities like performance workshops and camps, and pre- and post-show programming, the organization is raising the next generation of theatergoers.

For the second year in a row, we here at Mommy Poppins are proud to be partnering with the New Victory Theater. Throughout the season, we'll be giving you access to its incredible lineup of shows, ticket discounts and a pair of exclusive events for Mommy Poppins readers. We kick off our partnership with a preview of the New Victory's 2014-2015 season, including show recommendations for every age and stage, tips on how to save money on tickets, video clips from the upcoming productions and details about enriching programs that may be under your radar.

When you think of the fall, you think of crisp weather, vibrant colors, pumpkins and hay rides. If your child has a fall birthday, celebrate with all the best elements of the season at a pick-your-own pumpkin patch. New Jersey is home to great pumpkin farms throughout the state, and many offer party packages jam-packed with seasonal activities, such as hay rides and corn mazes. Pumpkin parties are typically offered September through November and tend to book up early. If the weather doesn’t cooperate, some pumpkin farms offer indoor options or date changes; see individual websites for rain policies. Enjoy all the fun of the fall at these Garden State pumpkin farms. And for all kinds of party ideas, visit Mommy Poppins NJ’s Birthday Party Guide.

The point of the picks is to focus on one good thing. It’s calendar de-cluttering. For those who get overwhelmed by too much choice, it is helpful to be pointed toward just one. But sometimes even us professional pickers can’t choose one thing over others; and sometimes there is so much going on, it is worth doing your own sorting to find what you and your family would select. We can choose for you, but we might not choose what you would. This week it's a particularly good idea to check out Mommy Poppins' Event Calendar and take a closer look at Friday, which is jam packed with options. I spotted two things so cool I couldn’t decide (so I'm picking both), but there’s even more to consider. As summer winds down, there tends to be less to do, but not this week...

The Museum of Science recently sent me tickets to check out the 4D movies it is currently showing: Dora & Diego and Happy Feet. My three year old doesn't nap anymore, but every afternoon we have "rest time," when I'll put on a short movie to let her body rest. I was excited to switch it up and go experience something a little different for an afternoon. But let me tell you, it was the opposite of "rest time"! 4D movies feature multi-sensory effects to provide a thrilling immersion into short films. Sure, I knew this going in, but I thought, "What could be so thrilling about a cartoon penguin and a pre-schooler?"

Everything's coming up autumn on all of our sites this week. In NYC, we officially launched our Fall Fun Guide with new posts about the best museum exhibits for families this season, and harvest festivals, pumpkin patches and even a giant corn maze right here in the Big Apple.

Speaking of apples, we added a bunch of new posts to our Pick Your Own Guide including apple orchards on Long Island and in New Jersey (even low-spray ones), and pumpkin patches in Connecticut. Long Island also highlighted ten fall foliage nature walks, although you don't need to leave NYC to see cool colorful leaves.

If you're looking for a culture-filled destination for one of the upcoming holiday weekends (public school kids have four days off for Rosh Hashanah and three days for Columbus Day), our Family Travel site just shared a great three-day itinerary for Montreal. Fall is a wonderful season to visit before the winter chill sets in, although the city is quite beautiful around the holidays.

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

We're entering peak season for festivals in Westchester and the Hudson Valley and this weekend is rife with the first batch. This weekend marks the return of Oktoberfest at Bear Mountain, where you can join in the celebration of all things German. Another returning cultural celebration is the Holy Trinity Greek Festival, running through Sunday, with food, dancing, rides and games.

Also back this year are the American Gold Cup, Fall Crafts at Lyndhurst, the Armonk Cider & Donut Festival and the Arts on Third Festival. Also, a new festival is making the scene this year--the first annual Tribes Hill Music Festival at John Jay Homestead, featuring a long lineup of musical performers, a jam session and other fun features.

Two film events are worth noting, both of which run all weekend: The Alamo Plays the Hits Film Series, where you can get jazzed by a big-screen showing of Singin’ in the Rain, and Patema Inverted, a Japanese animated film about friends with opposite gravities.

Read on for details on these and other great events happening this weekend. If you see something that piques your interest, be sure to click through to the listing for full details. And don't forget, our Event Calendar has even more fun happenings this weekend in Westchester and the Hudson Valley.