Many Mommy Poppins writers absolutely adored Birdhouse Factory, the last show Cirque Mechanics brought to the New Victory Theater. So we were all really looking forward to the Las Vegas troupe’s new spectacle Boom Town. Of course high expectations can sometimes lead to disappointment.

So I’ll be honest: Not everyone here enjoyed Boom Town as much as my five-year-old daughter and I did. There’s no question that the Metropolis-esque Birdhouse Factory was more striking in terms of aesthetics, narrative and feats. But Boom Town, which is set in the Wild West during the Gold Rush days, has a lot of hokey charm, with silly clowns, impressive aerial and balancing acts, and lots of silly slapstick.

Here are seven reasons why I think circus lovers should book a trip to Boom Town.

It's been a busy week at all of the Mommy Poppins sites! Must be the time of year: April brings Easter, Passover, spring break, Earth Day and a host of popular festivals like the Tribeca Family Festival Street Fair and Sakura Matsuri.

Don't worry: You won't need to try to cram all of those activities into one weekend. But since they're coming up, we wanted to give you a heads up, so you had time to mark your calendars.

Read on to see what else we covered this week on Mommy Poppins, in NYC, Long Island, New Jersey and Connecticut.

We’ve been very busy here at Mommy Poppins, birthing new sites for families in Long Island, New Jersey and Connecticut, while still keeping up with all the cool things going on in New York City. We know you’re busy too, and may not have the time to visit multiple sites. So for your convenience, we’re compiling links to our best weekly posts into yet another post. Yes, we do see the irony in that. But we really don’t want you to miss a thing. There’s so much to do all over the tri-state area!

From special Easter train rides in New Jersey to egg hunts on Long Island (yes, already) to a roundup of spring festivals in NYC, here are the highlights from the world of Mommy Poppins.