Double Duty
It’s fall fashion time, which means the style stakes are raised—even if you’ve got a newborn strapped to your chest. Rather than toting around the same tired diaper bag that every mom seems to have, try one that could fool even the pros. Timi and Leslie bags are a celeb-fave (if it’s good enough for Angelina…), offering all the necessities such as stroller straps, bottle totes and a changing pad; but once you’re off duty, simply remove all of the baby parts and use it as a fabulous handbag or work tote. The Genevieve bag, $150 at Neiman Marcus, King of Prussia

A Spooktacular Halloween
Usually the activities leading up to Halloween consist of hayrides with freaky men in freakier costumes jumping out at you from between the cornstalks, or trips to the eerie Eastern State Penitentiary—either way, it’s best to keep the under-6 crowd far away unless you’re willing to pay for years of therapy. Starting the last weekend in September and running through Halloween weekend, bring the little ones to tamer waters at Sesame Place’s Count’s Halloween Spooktacular.  It features an all new Elmo’s World Live Halloween Show, themed character dining, an all new interactive maze, spooky decorations and hayrides. And sure to be a fave, kids are encouraged to attend all Halloween Spooktacular weekends dressed in their favorite costumes. Weekends from Sept. 26-Oct 31. sesameplace.com

Fall Family Fun
‘Tis the season for pumpkins, art festivals and the cool, crisp great outdoors. Here are some of the best picks for family-friendly activities that will get you and the little ones out and about this fall.

Linvilla Orchards is a 300-acre farm dedicated to agriculture, entertainment and education. The Orchards have seasonal pick-your-own fruit days, an abundant farm market and bakery (don’t miss the fresh-baked apple cider donuts), and lots of weekend festivals geared towards kids. During the months of September and October, Pumpkinland takes center stage at Linvilla when the orchard transforms into an autumn wonderland of pumpkin patches, hay rides with marshmallow roasts, scarecrows, corn mazes and costume parades. Take home pumpkins to carve and apples to eat. Lunch and dinner are available in the bakery or the Linvilla Grill. 137 W. Knowlton Road, Media, 610-876-7116; linvilla.com

None Such Farm is “Home of the Happy Pumpkin” and that seems about right when you pull up to the farm and see acres and acres of pumpkins lounging about, just waiting to be hand-picked by eager children. For four weekends in October, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., None Such hosts a Fall Festival with pumpkin picking, hayrides, pony rides, snacks and hot cider. The farm staff takes time in crafting a welcome brigade of “pumpkin people,” happy hosts that greet visitors as they walk to the pumpkin patch. It’s fun to see all of their creative characters and take pics with the kids. 4458 York Road, Buckingham, nonesuchfarms.com

The Great Pumpkin Carve in the grove at the Chadds Ford Historical Society pairs plump pumpkins with master carvers. Local artists tackle 150 to 400 pound pumpkins and turn them into works of art, some spooky, some pretty, all extraordinary. The 60-plus gigantic gourds are grown locally by S.I.W. Vegetables in Chadds Ford. The Carve is a three-day event beginning with the carving on Thursday, October 22nd. At nightfall, the pumpkins are lit and judged by a panel of pumpkin experts. The public is invited to view the pumpkins and help with the judging. Winners are announced at the end of the evening. On Friday and Saturday nights, pumpkins will be on display. On all days, guests can enjoy snacks, hay rides and live music. The folks at Chadds Ford suggest that guests wear comfortable shoes, dress warmly, bring a flashlight and leave the dogs at home. Chadds Ford Historical Society; 1736 Creek Road Chadds Ford, 610-876-7116; chaddsfordhistory.org

The Chestnut Hill Fall for the Arts Festival welcomes the turn of the season with a day of art, music, food specials and boutique shopping as a section Germantown Ave. is transformed into an outdoor arts and crafts marketplace. The Chestnut Hill Fall for the Arts Festival welcomes more than 150 national and local artists who will display and sell a wide variety of sculpture, jewelry, paintings and pottery. The avenue will be closed to traffic so visitors can leisurely stroll around and check out the art, food vendors and live entertainment. Children’s activities include arts and crafts tables and a mini amusement park. Chestnut Hill parking lots will offer a special all-day rate of $5.00. Admission to the festival is free. The festival runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, October 4, 2009. Germantown Avenue, between Willow Grove and Rex Avenues, Chestnut Hill, 215-247-6696

The Fall Art Walk in Lancaster brings together artists, chefs and performers when downtown Lancaster welcomes guests to special events in its numerous galleries, studios, museums and event spaces. While the galleries and antique shops host classic and unique exhibits, many artists install their art outdoors taking inspiration from historic buildings and green spaces. Turn a corner and you’ll probably find singers, dancers and performance artists doing their thing on the streets. Local chefs present Art on a Plate by creating special dishes inspired by the artists and the festival. Kids and parents can take the Arts Crawl Challenge and win a prize for finding artistic treasures around the city. Art Walk runs October 17th and 18th and hours are Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 12 p.m. to 5 p.m., but some venues start Friday evening, and others continue into Sunday evening.  717-509-ARTS; lancasterarts.com

Morris Arboretum’s 92-acre garden recently expanded into the trees with a new permanent exhibit called Tree Adventure. Structures and stairs built between towering trees allow visitors to explore the relationship between plants and people.  Climbers are given a Passport to Adventure then set loose to travel between stations and learn tree and animal facts with a view. Highlights are the giant suspended Bird’s Nest and the Squirrel Scramble between trees.  The exhibit encourages exploration and teaches environmental appreciation to both kids and adults. If you prefer spending time closer to the ground, check out the Arboretum’s fall activities like the Scarecrow Walk where specially designed scarecrows will be on display and vying for prizes or the floral arranging for kids on October 24th where they can take home a fresh flower arrangement in a keepsake container with sweet treats. The flower workshop is geared towards ages 5 to 12. 100 E. Northwestern Ave, Philadelphia, PA; 215-247-5777; business-services.upenn.edu/arboretum/events

.85th Unionville Community Fair is like a mid-western state fair in our own back yard. The fair is hosted by Landhope Farms in Kennett Square and showcases the largest display of community and agricultural products in Chester County. View more than 3,000 contest exhibits submitted by community residents and farmers, enjoy delicious treats from a variety of food vendors, listen to live music on the outdoor stage, become a “Farmer For a Day,” and enter in the Look Like Your Pet Contest. There’will be a live horse show and family friendly activities like a traveling petting zoo and pumpkin stacking contests.  The fair runs October 2 to 4 with day and evening hours. 101 E Street Road, Kennett Square; ucfairinc.org

Are you ready to rock?

Since its opening this summer, Phoenixville’s innovative new music school Rock & Roll After School has offered kids 8-18 the opportunity to learn and play their own music under the guidance of accomplished local musicians such as John Lilly from the Hooters, while also helping them perfect their spinning abilities from the likes of club and radio DJ Erica Baran. But equally cool is that the school is also an after-school community center where kids can come hang out and talk music. Every Friday night during September and October, the school is holding its $1 Friday Night Concert Series, featuring area bands, as well as performances by the school’s instructors. 400 Franklin Ave. (in Franklin Commons), Phoenixville; rockandrollafterschool.com

Taking Notes
Nothing beats a thoughtful thank-you note or birthday card, so let your little Picasso run wild with this kitschy notecard kit. Housed in a sturdy vintage case that the kids can lug around, the kit includes 12 blank postcards, 12 notecards and envelopes, a set of eight decorative stamper markers in fun shapes and colors, plus a cute little Piggy Story charm. Handy Notecard Kit in Piggy Mermaids by The Piggy Story, $29.50 at Katye K, Haverford