Weekly Wrap Up: Bronx Zoo Boo at the Zoo Giveaway, Other Halloween Happenings, Chinatown

10/6/11 - By Raven Snook

We've crossed a few more Halloween updates off our to-do list. If you look at our Halloween Fun Guide, you'll see we now have info on this year's haunted happenings in Westchester, parties and events in Fairfield, Connecticut and a wonderful post about the Bronx Zoo's Boo at the Zoo, which includes a giveaway: four sets of family four-packs to the animal spot. You've got to hurry: We're picking the winners this Monday so enter right away.

Of course Halloween isn't the only game in town. We also updated our post about Columbus Day weekend getaways and staycations just in time for the three-day break, and we took a family walking tour of Chinatown. It's the first in series of posts we are doing on the neighborhood this month.

And that's just a bit of what's going on. Here's what we covered this week on Mommy Poppins in NYC, New Jersey, Long Island and Connecticut, as well as selected stories from our brand-new sites in Boston and Los Angeles.

OUR LATEST VIDEOS

New York City

In order to get more granular with our coverage, we will be highlighting one neighborhood per month in a series of posts. We decided to start with Chinatown because it's one of our favorite places in the city to visit with kids. Check out our fun family walking tour of Chinatown, and watch for additional posts about this wonderful area.

One of our moms took her preschooler to the Brooklyn Children's Museum's new exhibit Secrets of Circles.

Then Mommy Poppins herself took her kids through the much more mature installation Dialog in the Dark, which is down at the South Street Seaport.

Out in Queens, we explored the awesome Children's Library Discovery Center, which recently opened at the Jamaica branch of the Queens Library.

The New Victory Theater kicked off its season with a wonderful stage adaptation of the book The Little Prince, starring some really cool puppets.

And of course we continued scaring up Halloween info, like all of the haunted happenings in Westchester and info on the Bronx Zoo's Boo at the Zoo.

If you're spending Columbus Day weekend in the city, best bets include the Harlem Harvest Festival, Sunnyside Gardens Park's Oktoberfest and a concert by Princess Katie & Racer Steve. Of course it's not too late to plan a day trip. Our readers have lots of suggestions and, if you're thinking of going apple or pumpkin picking (like two of us did last weekend—that photo is of our kids at Alstede Farms in Chester, NJ), check out our Pick Your Own Guide.

New Jersey

Across the Hudson, our bloggers rounded up the best museum exhibits for kids this fall in NJ.

We also have a review of the just-for-parents show God of Carnage playing at the Mile Square Theatre.

Things to do this three-day weekend include the Pumpkin and Indian Corn Harvest at Howell Living History Farm in Lambertville and the South Jersey Pumpkin Show Fall Festival in Egg Harbor City.

Long Island

On LI, we've got a roundup of awesome art classes for kids.

Weekend events include the Long Island Maritime Museum's Country Fest, the Mill Neck Fall Harvest Festival and the Riverhead Country Fair.

Connecticut

CT was all about Halloween this week, with posts on the best Halloween celebrations in Fairfield County and costume ideas for babies and kids.

Weekend highlights include the Connecticut Renaissance Faire, the Haunted Graveyard at Lake Compounce and the annual Columbus Day Parade in West Haven.

Los Angeles & Boston

If you decide to spend the three-day weekend in Boston, be sure to check out all of Salem's haunted Halloween happenings.

Out in LA, there are a ton of amazing Halloween events for families and places to rent or buy costumes.

Giveaways

Our Bronx Zoo Boo at the Zoo giveaway of four family four-packs ends on Monday. So make sure you find out how to enter now.

And NJ is giving away two pairs of tickets to God of Carnage, perfect for date night. Find out how to enter.