A few decades ago, Gay Pride in New York City was mainly an adult affair, with a big Manhattan march followed by parties until dawn. While those events continue today, a lot has changed about Pride and for the LGBT community as a whole. Many gay couples are now married (legally!) with children and want to celebrate Pride as a family. Plus the festivities aren't limited to Manhattan; now the outer boroughs host notable Pride events, too, with their own vibes and attractions.

Last year, my son and I spent several happy hours eating, shopping and playing our way through the Brooklyn Pride Festival right off Bartel-Pritchard Square. It was mellow and fun, and with Pride Month upon us again, we're looking forward to checking out other kid-friendly Pride celebrations throughout June. While some gatherings are still just for grown-ups, we've found a bunch that are great for the whole family. Bonus: They're all FREE.

As far as I’m concerned, summer doesn’t officially start until the backseat of my car has a fine layer of melted popsicles and smooshed cotton candy covering it.  To that end, I’m on the hunt for some local fairs and festivals, where I hope to find said ice cream and cotton candy – amongst other things.  Happily, the month of June has numerous local Fairfield County fairs scheduled – surely I’ll find some sticky sugar at one of them!

In my pre-parenting days, I worked down the block from Madison Square Park and I remember waiting on line for Shake Shack when it was just a food truck grilling up dogs. Once I became a mom, the park became my go-to destination with my noisy, active toddler, and I recall arriving super early so we could avoid the Shake Shack lunch rush.

Much as my son and I still love the outdoor eatery's burgers and shakes, it's not the only choice for hungry families in the neighborhood. Over the past few years, a whole new crop of casual, kid-friendly restaurants have opened up around park, plus my family and I discovered a golden oldie that predates Shake Shack by, oh, 75 years. So this summer, after you hit the fantastic playground, check out the cool public art and groove to the free kids' concerts, skip the Shack and try one of these other dining destinations near Madison Square Park.

The music scene for teens is huge this summer in New Jersey! Disney Channel alums such as Demi Lovato and Ross Lynch are breaking away from their cable television shows and heading out on tour. It’s a tough call for parents as to when their tweens are the right age for their first concert; however, many of these upcoming shows feature bands with a more “wholesome” act. It helps that they are widely popular with younger fans as well! Enjoy!

After a taste of that New Jersey summer weather, I'm already fantasizing about the end of school and the beginning of carefree summertime fun. We have a few more weeks of responsibility left, but thankfully there's lots of great outdoor fun to keep me in that almost summer mode.  This weekend there's some really huge fairs and fests like Riverfest in Red Bank, Greek Fest in Westfield, and Strawberry Festival in Hackettstown. Of course there's also a slew of indoor events, like the popular "Baby Loves Disco" tour that is finally making a stop in NJ. Read on for our top picks and remember you can find a listing of all NJ activities for kids in our Event Calendar.

With June starting this weekend, summer camp is on all of our minds. Not only did we put together a diverse list of quality programs that still have availability, we also launched our annual summer camp sale. Save up to 65% on 15 different programs, all vetted by Mommy Poppins moms.

Drop-in summer fun is also on the agenda. On the NYC site, we rounded up 30 festivals and fairs in June, free outdoor music and culture series and reviewed the brand-new, open-air attraction Field Station: Dinosaurs just across the Hudson River.

Our other sites are focusing on summer fun, too. Connecticut shared 25 free and cheap things to do in Fairfield County this summer and Boston rounded up 25 things to do in Springfield, Massachusetts this season. And over in New Jersey, we spotlighted the family-friendly beaches of the Jersey Shore.

Here's what else we shared this week on our NYC site.