All Weekend

Maker Faire New York – Corona
An absolute must-do event: The grounds of the New York Hall of Science explode with all kinds of inventions and creations, everything from knitting to robotics, circus to interactive sculptures, computers to crafts and more. The Young Makers area is particularly inspiring for kids, with local students showing off their cutting-edge projects, and everyone loves the life-size working replica of the Mouse Trap board game. Need more convincing? Check out our highlight reel from 2010 or read our in-depth Maker Faire post with tips about the best ticket deals and booths to hit. In advance: $14-$55; more at the door.

Queens County Fair – Floral Park
Get a taste of country life right here in the city at this annual Queens County Farm Museum fete. Enjoy blue ribbon competitions in livestock, produce, home crafts, arts and crafts, and more; pie-eating and corn-husking contests; pig races, hayrides, a petting zoo and a midway with carnival rides. For an additional fee, you can also get lost in the Amazing Maize Maze. $8 for adults, $5 for children under 13, additional fees for rides and other attractions

Haunted Pumpkin Garden – the Bronx
The New York Botanical Garden's third annual Halloween-themed exhibit opens this weekend (yes, already!). Marvel at more than 500 jack-o'-lanterns elaborately carved and sculpted into spiders, scarecrows, bats, snakes and other scary sights. Be sure to hit the Everett Children's Adventure Garden for the costume parade, Halloween storytime and a nature scavenger hunt. Free with All-Garden Pass: $20 for adults, $8 for children ages 2-12

Tilly the Trickster – Chelsea
Atlantic for Kids, the wonderful children's theater arm of the prestigious Atlantic Theater Company, debuts this new musical based on Molly Shannon's whimsical children's book about an incorrigible prankster whose family turns the tables on her. $20 for adults, $10 for children

Kid Around! Princess Katie & Racer Steve & Tim and the Space Cadets – South Street Seaport
Catch two top kindie bands at this brand-new outdoor weekend concert series. On Saturday, popsters Princess Katie & Racer Steve invite the kids to dress up and groove in their rock star best. On Sunday, Brooklyn's own Tim and the Space Cadets play songs about superheros, school days and pizza parties. FREE
 

Saturday, September 21

Morningside Lights Procession and Festival – Harlem & Morningside Heights
After a week of lantern making, the illuminated creations are ready to be viewed at this low-key family-friendly procession through Harlem's Morningside Park. Even if you didn't get a chance to participate in the collaborative workshops earlier this week, you can still enjoy the afternoon Family Festival featuring balloon art, puppets, live music, face painting and crafts. Then stick around to watch (or join!) the evening parade throughout the green space and the surrounding neighborhood. The photo above is from last year's Morningside Lights and as you can see it's pretty spectacular. FREE

Breukelen Country Fair – Canarsie
Celebrate Brooklyn's agricultural past at the Wyckoff Farmhouse Museum, a historic institution dedicated to early life in NYC. Enjoy live music, pony rides, food cooked in a fire pit, cider pressing, and old-time crafts and games. $5 for adults, $3 for children ages 3-9

Battle of Harlem Heights Remembered – Harlem
Mark the anniversary of this important battle at Morris-Jumel Mansion (Manhattan's oldest house and George Washington's headquarters during the Revolutionary War) with period activities like writing with a quill pen and dressing up in colonial costumes. FREE

Go Fish! Festival with the-Arm-of-the-Sea Theater – Battery Park City
Head to Robert F. Wagner, Jr. Park for catch-and-release fishing, art projects, eco-displays, and a performance of the Arm-of-the-Sea Theater's The Rejuvenary River Circus featuring incredible large-scale giant puppets and live music. FREE

Get Hooked! – East Harlem
More catch-and-release fun, this time on Randall's Island. Hit the isle for some shoreline fishing, all equipment and instructions provided. Nature games, arts and crafts, and refreshments round out the day. FREE

BAMKids Movie Matinee: Charlotte's Web – Fort Greene
Both film adaptations of E.B. White's beloved children's book will be screened at BAM Rose Cinemas today. Unfortunately, it's not a double feature: the 1973 animated musical and the 2006 live-action version will play simultaneously. My eight-year old is a big fan of both, so you can't go wrong with either choice. $9 for adults, $7 for children under 13

Super Sabado! Do-It-Yourself (DIY) – East Harlem
Get creative at El Museo del Barrio with all kinds of hands-on activities like 'zine making, a hip-hop dance workshop, sing-alongs and a family dance party. FREE

The Teacher from the Black Lagoon and Other Storybooks – Upper West Side
This kid-lit revue features musical adaptations of six quirky children's tales: The Teacher from the Black Lagoon, Dogzilla, Grumpy Bird, Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse, Love Splat, Splat the Cat and Aesop's Fable The Grasshopper and the Ant. At just an hour, it's perfect for short attention spans. Complimentary milk and brownies will be served post-show. $10 for adults, $5 for children

See all Saturday events. 
 

Sunday, September 22

New York Harbor Ecology Cruise With Mommy Poppins & Manhattan By Sail – South Street Seaport
Join the Mommy Poppins gang on our eco-themed family cruise through New York Harbor on Manhattan by Sail's stunning Clipper City Tall Ship. Natalie Tahsler, a science teacher and educator for the American Museum of Natural History's Science Nature Program, will show kids how to craft cloud viewers to predict the weather and binoculars to scour the sky. Plus there will be nature-themed bingo, nautical skills, face painting and goody bags from the New Victory Theater. $39 for adults, $25 for children under 13

Brooklyn Book Festival – Brooklyn Heights
Attention bookworms: Meet more than 200 local authors at this annual lit fest. Kids will want to head to the Target Children's Area in the plaza for readings by awesome local kids' authors like David Ezra Stein of Interrupting Chicken fame. Meanwhile tweens and teens can hit the Youth Stoop for fun like Comics Quick-Draw!, a cartoon improv competition for pro illustrators. FREE

Kite Flight – Midtown West
Hit the roof of the Port Authority Bus Terminal for this annual kite-flying fest. Sponsor the Fashion Center goes all out with free snacks, two areas of kite flying (one for pros, the other for amateurs), jugglers, unicyclists and stilt walkers, live music, arts and crafts, and one of the best face painting teams currently working on the kids' circuit: Agostino Arts. FREE

Native American Festival – the Bronx
Enjoy Native American performances, exhibits, arts and crafts, food, storytelling, nature programs and more. Families will be able to interact with many of the performers and try hands-on activities that teach about the Taino, Seminole and other tribes. FREE

Westbeth Kids Groove Festival – West Village
At the inaugural family day of the annual Westbeth Music Festival, enjoy concerts by the P.S. 41 Songbirds and GrooveCats, performances by Penny Jones Puppets & Company, and other kids' entertainment. FREE

Carroll Park We Are Family Dance Party – Carroll Gardens
Shake your groove thing at this disco-themed family party in Carroll Park complete with disco lessons, a DJ, and musical performances by Mingo and the Metropolis Band NYC. FREE

See all Sunday events. 
 

Outside NYC

It's now or never for apple picking—if you wait until October all the fruit may be gone. We've got the scoop on the best pick-your-own places in the tri-state area in our Apple Picking Guide.

Are you a member of Kids Club Thirteen? It certainly has its privileges, including free admission to 13 tri-state area events throughout the year. Today, members can head to the Stickley Museum at Craftsman Farms in Morris Plains, New Jersey for hayrides, square-dancing, and a special meet and greet with Clifford the Big Red Dog. Read our post about Kids Club Thirteen for details on member benefits and how to join. Free for Kids Club Thirteen members.

Keep the vampires away at the Long Island Garlic Festival at Riverhead's Garden of Eve Organic Farm and Market. Festivities include live music, farm animals, hayrides, and tons of garlic to eat and plant.

At Newington, Connecticut's Waterfall Festival enjoy crafts, kids' activities, live entertainment and an Artist's Chalk Walk.

Celebrate seasonal culinary delights at the Cider and Donut Festival in Armonk, New York. In addition to chowing down on delicious treats, enjoy live bands, arts and crafts, and other fall fun.

Don't forget: We have additional activity options in our Event Calendar.