Events

This weekend is technically the last weekend we have before the Holidays are officially upon us. Next week at this time, you may be hitting your favorite super store or shopping mall scouting out the best deals (or maybe not). And yet, the more we parents get caught up in the pace and commercialism of the Holidays, so do our kids. So this weekend, grab the kids and check out some of the coolest ways to appreciate and celebrate the History of the Holidays, Long Island Style. 

I’ve always found the weekend before Thanksgiving to be exciting, since the whole family is starting to get in the holiday spirit and kids know vacations (and presents, of course) are coming. But before you start thinking about gifts or prepping food before the big cook-off, take some time to enjoy the pre-Rockefeller Tree-d city—it won’t look like this again until mid-January. This weekend there’s an incredible array of free and cheap art events, live music and food at El Museo del Barrio, a scarecrow making contest, circus fun, a gross (but awesome) icky festival and more.  

From one Holiday to the next, chances are your weekend is going to include some sort of Thanksgiving discussion. Less than two weeks away, this weekend might be a great time to visit one of Long Island's local poultry farms and get up close with a real live turkey, but if you're not quite ready to forge into Thanksgiving mode, there are plenty of other cool things happening out and about Long Island this weekend: 

These weekend events post are so hard to write. Not because it's hard to find cool things to recommend, but because it's hard to pick which ones to include. We've some cool, free events for this weekend that we think should be on your radar, but if you're not checking the calendar for other events, you're really missing out. Below you'll find stuff like the Commemoration of the 233^rd Anniversary of the Battle of Fort Washington (which looks really cool!), a Lenape Indian Hike, a pop-up book celebration, free Sesame Street fun, a jamboree and more.

Now that Halloween is behind us, I can feel a subliminal pressure mounting about the coming Holiday Season. The toy commercials are ramping up, the Toys R Us big book of presents as I call it arrived last Sunday, and I even spotted some tinsel being strewn, but I'm not gonna tell you where. At any rate, in case you hadn't heard, there is one less weekend between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year, meaning once Thanksgiving hits (which is just a few short weeks away), we are pretty much going to be in turbo Holiday mode until January 1st. Take advantage of the calm before the storm this weekend, and check out some of the cool family events going on across the Island:

You might still have left over Halloween candy hanging around (here’s some ideas of what to do with it), but the monster-filled events have come to an end here in the city. And that's not a bad thing. Fill this weekend with some decidedly Fall adventures like kite flying, chamber music for kiddies, family arts programs, dance parties, and much more.

And don't forget to enter our giveaway for a free family photo portrait session. Two winners will be chosen on Sunday.

Winter may be just around the corner, but it isn't time to give up fun outdoor activities just yet!  This weekend, kids can head outdoors and get up close with all kinds of animals: watch wild ducks, learn all about horses, or attend an outdoor animal storytime.  They can also travel back in time at a historical farm and explore sausage and bacon making, or learn how to turn apples into cider.  Too chilly for you? Look for a good time indoors with a free theater series with campfire stories, a Mo Willem’s show at SOPAC, or family fun at the Newark Museum.

It's finally here. Halloween Weekend is upon us and the kids are already jittery with excitement. We've written about so many Halloween activities, how on earth are you to decide what to do? Plus there's a few events we haven't even mentioned yet. So this week's events post focuses on the most interesting Halloween activities this weekend.

Of course there's way more than ten great things to do this weekend so make sure to check the posts in our Halloween Activities Guide and our events calendar, which has over 50 cool events for this weekend (we even have some non-Halloween events if you're over it).

With Halloween falling on a Saturday, chances are your weekend plans include a day of Holiday festivities and a day of relaxation on Sunday. Or maybe you're looking for ways to stay out of the house and away from all the Halloween candy on Sunday. Whether you're looking for ways to get the most out of Halloween this weekend, or ways to get moving on from it, we've rounded up some of the best on and off the beaten path activities for you on Long Island this weekend:
 

Halloween isn't just about candy. This weekend you can take Halloween on from every angle with Fall and Harvest festivals, at a pumpkin festival, in a historic mansion, a green halloween, glamrock and even from the point of view of bats. But that's not all, the Greenpoint/Williamsburg Halloween Parade is this weekend, plus the non-scary kids version of Nightmare: Vampires Haunted House is this weekend only. Yes, Halloween is eerily upon us, but have no fear—we’ve got you covered! From last minute DIY costume ideas, to healthier options for treats, there’s tons of great stuff in our Halloween Fun Guide.