Maritime festivals, arts festivals, outdoor concerts, the circus - there are more outdoor celebrations (most free!) in and around Boston going on this weekend than there is time to enjoy. Among the options are the Salem Maritime Festival in Salem, Family Day at Newburyport’s Yankee Homecoming Day, Massachusetts Marketplace Festival in Wellesley, Circus Smirkus in Newbury, and an outdoor concert with Karen K and the Jitterbugs on Georges Island. Planning ahead? Our August Go List has top (free!) festivals every weekend of the month.

Summertime is also movie time for many families. Outdoor options are plentiful, and for something different, Tara has everything you need to know about a family night at the drive-in: Five reasons to go to a drive-in theater, five drive-ins near Boston (and one that isn’t), and five tips for enjoying your experience to the fullest. And check out Tara’s review of Smurfs 2 in 3D - interesting takes from a parent and her kids!

If your travels take you to Nantucket, our friends at Nantucket Bucket have 10 off-the-beaten-path destinations to check out. You’ll find this and other related posts in our Cape Cod and the Islands Guide.

Enjoy!

Oh, summer! I like having you around. Your weather is inviting, and our dance cards are filled with one fun activity after another. But I’m a little unsettled: with the arrival of August, does that mean our time together is half over? Or is it really half just-begun?

Perhaps I shouldn't worry. Some of the best activities of the season don't even start until August. This weekend we have the premiere of an all-new Shakespeare production that's free, outdoors, geared for kids and has -- wait for it I can't wait any longer -- superheroes!  The Getty's Garden Concerts for Kids start this weekend as well, and they're free, outdoors,  geared for kids (this is starting to sound familiar) and -- alas - no superheroes -- but who needs superheroes when you have those awesome views at the Getty that you get to by riding a train up from the parking lot!

And if you like superheroes and vehicles, boy are you going to love this next thing. It's actually many things, over 15,000 of them across the country in fact. Next Tuesday's National Night Out celebrates our communities, and gives families a chance to say hi to their neighbors, their police officers, and their fire fighters. And if your kid gets to pet a police horse or climb into a helicopter, all the better. We have a few local celebrations listed (Beverly Hills, Burbank, Santa Monica, and Studio City), but if those aren't near you, poke around a bit and odds are good you could find one closer to you. (We'd list them all but, you know, 15,000).

Keep reading for some of our favorite picks for this summer-in-full-swing weekend...

We know many families go away in August but if you're planning to stick around this weekend, there's lots of fun happening close to home in Westchester. Two awesome cultural celebrations are happening this weekend: the New York Renaissance Faire and the Native American Heritage Celebration of Hudson Valley. If you're looking to catch a show, Shrek The Musical is showing at Tarrytown Music Hall with performances all weekend.

Saturday, spend the day at the Hudson River Museum and partake in science and art projects. Stay for August Alternative Music Saturdays in their new amphitheater. On Sunday, enjoy brunch and a family friendly comedy show in West Nyack or head to Muscoot Farm for a Native American Afternoon.

Be sure to click through to the event for full details when you see something you like and remember, our event calendar is full of even more fun happening this weekend and beyond. Read on for our picks for things to do this weekend in Westchester!

This weekend, enjoy a show filled with a variety of live animals at the Extreme Raptor Project at the Long Island Game Farm. In the mood for a festival, or two? There are three to choose from: Annual Sayville Summerfest, The Church Of St. Rocco The Best Feast In The East in Glen Cove, and the Our Lady Of Mercy Family Festival in Hicksville. Have a budding scientist at home? Head over to the Brookhaven National Laboratory and learn all about atoms. Enjoy a girly spin on the nautical theme at the Mermaid Tea Party at The Whaling Museum and Education Center of Cold Spring Harbor. Also on tap: Mid-Tide Splash at Jones Beach State Park, and a Juggling show by Ray Grins at Valley Stream State Park. As always, check our events calendar every day for fun activities for the family.

My eight-year-old has been obsessed with Smurfs since the age of two, and has been counting down the days to the release of the second Smurfs movie all summer. So, imagine our delight when we were invited to a screening of Smurfs 2 in 3D at the Regal Fenway theaters. Although only one of us has a bizarre affinity for the little blue people, the whole family went to the show – we all liked the first film, and we were actually looking forward to the second one, too. Did Smurfs 2 live up to our expectations? Find out from my kids first, and then read on for my take on the film as a parent. If you decide to see Smurfs 2 with your kids, consider making a night of it at one of the drive-in theaters near Boston. You just might feel like a kid again yourself.

Long Island has lots of great fairs and festivals for families to enjoy this summer. Celebrate the season with live music, carnival rides for the kiddos, and plenty of delicious food. From festivals celebrating world cultures to fairs displaying local arts and crafts, there's lots to keep everyone busy all summer long. Read on for our roundup of the best festivals around, many of which are featured on our August Go List.

Once again we have a rainy weekend on our hands and as such, some of our outdoor picks may be canceled or postponed. Before you head out, check the event's official website to make sure it's still happening. It's the first weekend of August and while some New Yorkers are leaving the city for far-flung destinations, we're planning a fun-filled staycation for the rest of the summer. This weekend brings lots of FREE fun including the first installment of Manhattan's car-free Summer Streets; the activity-packed Kids Rule Weekend in the Bronx; and no-cost admission to the Children's Museum of Manhattan on Friday evening, the Brooklyn Museum on Saturday evening and the Brooklyn Children's Museum on both afternoons.

We're particularly excited about our Mommy Poppins Family Cruise on Sunday. Join us for a fun New York Harbor voyage on Manhattan by Sail's Clipper City Tall Ship with master storyteller Bill Gordh and other boat-themed kids' activities. There are still tickets available so book now.

These are just a few of the great things going on this weekend. All of our best bets are below. You can find additional options in our Event Calendar and our Summer Fun Guide. And if you're looking to plan out your entire month, check out the new edition of our NYC Go List, which highlights the absolute best things to do with kids throughout August.

Hello August! Ready to make the most of the last month of summer? Let the kids burn off some energy at Dino Trux Weekend at Field Station: Dinosaurs or Block Party at the Liberty Science Center.  If you’re looking for outdoor adventure, head to Cape May Point State Park for their Pond Life Animal Show or catch your first fish at Turkey Swamp Park. And remember, you can find a full list of weekend activities in our Event Calendar.