It's a quiet mid-autumn weekend in the Berkshires.

It might rain Saturday, Oct. 18, so there are a couple of indoor options for family fun. First, the Berkshire Athenaeum will join Coordinated Family and Community Engagement for a “Fun with Fall” playgroup from 10:30 a.m. to noon. The program will include exploring, tasting, and reading about apples. Parents and children will also be able to complete an art activity as well as interact with various levels of math, literacy, and science stations. This event is geared toward children ages 2 to 5 but older and younger siblings are welcome to attend.

This event is free, no registration is required but children under 10 must be accompanied at all times by an adult over 18 years of age. For more information contact Jenn Faulconer, CFCE Coordinator, at 413-448-4809 or by e-mail at pittsfieldcfce@gmail.com.

If you like art, the Eclipse Mill artists in North Adams will open their doors to the public this weekend; you can read our story about it here.

And if the rain holds off, Clarksburg School will host its annual Haunted Hayride at Clarksburg State Park from 6 to 9:30 p.m. (If it rains, look for it next Saturday, Oct. 25.)

Sunday, Oct. 19, looks like a lovely, if much cooler, fall day. I will be heading to Six Flags New England for the annual JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes in the morning followed by a day in the park after. But if you're staying in the Berkshires, one event your family might like is at Ayelada Frozen Yogurt on East Street in Pittsfield, which is holding a family day to benefit Moments House. There will be balloon animals, crafts, pink yogurt pints and more. Moments House, in case you're not familiar with it, is a warm home-like daytime facility for all Berkshire County residents living with a cancer diagnosis as well as their families. They give amazing support there!

Or take the chance Sunday to do what plenty of people on my Facebook news feed seem to be doing these days: raking leaves.

Oh, and playing in them, too. You're never too old for that!

Rebecca Dravis is the community editor at iBerkshires. She can be reached at rdravis@iberkshires.com.

This column is brought to you by the department of shameless promotions.

But keep reading. It's for a good reason!

I have a little girl who has been living with type one diabetes for four years now. She wears two "gadgets" attached to her body, deals with blood sugar highs and lows, and never really feels "normal." It's a lot for anyone to deal with, much less a sweet 8-year-old. We are so very close to amazing technology (bionic pancreas) that would make living with this difficult disease much easier ... and maybe even a cure, as Thursday's news out of Harvard was amazing.

All year round, I do everything I can to promote awareness of this disease that affects around 3 million Americans but is much less understood than type two diabetes. But this time of the year, as we approach the annual JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes that we participate in, I kick into high gear with the raising of awareness - and money to help find that next step and ultimately that cure.

First, the awareness: In type one diabetes, which is an autoimmune disease, the pancreas has basically failed and does not produce insulin. Insulin is a hormone that is needed to convert sugar, starches and other food into energy needed for daily life. Healthy people have pancreases that produce the right amount of insulin at the right times; type one diabetics have to take insulin externally, either via shots or an insulin pump, every time they eat, calculating the amount of insulin they need based on the amount of carbohydrates in the food they are eating, their activity level, their stress level ... the list goes on and on of things that affect blood sugar, making it incredibly hard to manage the levels like a functioning pancreas would.

Stupid pancreas.

In type two diabetes, which is a metabolic disorder, usually the pancreas still makes insulin, but the body cannot use the insulin properly for various reasons.

OK, on to the fundraising part: I'm a big believer in the cliche of putting "fun" into fundraising, because asking for money just for the sake of money is hard! So this weekend, I have planned two fundraisers for my little girl's Walk to Cure Diabetes team that I hope will raise money to aid those wonderful folks working so hard to give her and the other 3 million folks a better life.

First on Saturday, Oct. 11, is a Progressive Palette painting party in Williamstown from 2-4 p.m. This is $35 a ticket and is for adults and kids over the age of 8. This requires you to register and pay online in advance, and there are only a few spots left, so if you read this and want to go, click here ASAP. All snacks and instruction are included!

Then on Monday is a movie morning at the North Adams Move Plex. For $5 per person (cash only please) you can see "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day" on opening weekend! The movie starts at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, which is Columbus Day and appears to be cool and rainy - the perfect day for a movie!

OK, shameless promotion department is closed. Other weekend activities include the Berkshire Botanical Garden Harvest Festival both days, the opening of the Spark!Lab at the Berkshire Museum on Saturday, Octoberfest from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday in Monterey, the Medieval Faire at Ventfort Hall in Lenox on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Ramblefest in Adams from noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

Whatever you do, enjoy the long weekend.

I was driving down Route 7 in Williamstown on Thursday around 6 p.m. and my breath literally caught at the beauty of the stretch of road in front of Mount Greylock Regional High School.

I've always considered this to be one of the most beautiful half-miles in all the world, though I may be biased. Still, seeing the fading ray of the sun caressing the lovely fall foliage was awesome. So awesome that my daughter tried to take a picture through the car window. It didn't work, but I will always have it in my mind's eye.

This weekend in North Berkshire is all about the foliage. Starting tonight, Friday, Oct. 3, with the Fall Foliage Festival Children's parade and ending Sunday, Oct. 5, with the 1 p.m. main event parade, this weekend celebrates the natural beauty of the place we call home.

And the weather looks to cooperate today and Sunday, anyway.

The Children's Parade starts at 5:30 p.m. and marches from Main and Eagle Streets over the City Hall.  Children who want to participate should arrive by 5 p.m. at Main and Eagle streets. Categories for prizes are “Best Group Working Together” or “Best Overall Costumes” or “Most Imaginative Float." All three first place winners may participate in the Fall Foliage Festival Parade on Sunday. To be judged, entries must follow the theme of “Celebrating the adventure and culture over the 100 years of the Mohawk Trail.” All children may enter the parade even though they may wish not to compete. No child will be turned away.

There are also family friendly events on Saturday - the sixth annual dog parade at 10 a.m. starting from Veterans Memorial Park and the children's races and family fair from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. at Noel Field - but Mother Nature might be messing with these events. Still, it looks to be a lovely fall day for the main event on Sunday, which starts at 1 p.m. and marches up Route 8 and across Main Street before ending down Ashland Street.

Looking for some indoor family fun on Saturday? The Pittsfield Fire Department will be hosting an open house during Fire Prevention Week to promote "Working Smoke Alarms Save Lives!" Through these educational, family-oriented activities, which run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., residents can learn more about the importance of working smoke alarms and testing them monthly. The open house will be held at Pittsfield Fire Department Headquarters, 74 Columbus Ave. Activities include fire safety talks and activities, senior citizen fire safety, Emergency Medical Systems information, and CHILD Project retinal scans, a program that identifies and locates missing children through the use of iris identification biometric technology.

One more thing to mention: Before Sunday's parade, head over to Williamstown Elementary School for the annual PTO used clothing sale from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. This sale features a large selection of clothes and lots of great winter gear; boots, pants, jackets, hat and mittens. As an added bonus, items will be half price from noon to 1 p.m. Looking for cheap winter gear for the kids? Look no further. Because while this weekend is about fall, winter can't be far behind.

Rebecca Dravis is the community editor at iBerkshires. She can be reached at rdravis@iberkshires.com.

We're heading into the first weekend of fall, and it looks to be a gorgeous one. So this week I'm keeping all of my suggestions ones you can do outdoors. Because winter and cabin fever won't be too far behind.

There are two free events that run both Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 27 and 28, that are good choices for kids of all ages.

First in Williamstown is a local celebration of National Alpaca Farm Days at Sweet Brook Farm on Oblong Road (in south Williamstown, to be exact). From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. both days, the public can meet and learn about alpacas and the beautiful fiber they provide during shearing each year.The Green Mountain Spinners and Weavers and the Stephentown, N.Y., Guilds will demonstrate their crafts, and visitors are welcome to try their hands at spinning and weaving. The Sweet Brook Farm store will be fully stocked with everything alpaca, from this season's newest alpaca yarn and knitting and crochet kits and tools, to fine alpaca apparel for men, women, and children, and alpaca toys. Maple syrup and maple products made on the farm will also be available for sale.  

The event is free. For more information, contact Beth Phelps at 413-884-4246 or visit sweetbrookfarm.com.

Heading south of the annual Apple Squeeze festival in Lenox. From 10 a.m to 5 p.m. both days, downtown Lenox will be teeming with entertainment, an apple chili challenge, a kids fair at Lilac Park, artists and crafters, and more. Visit lenox.org for details.

On Sunday, Sept. 28, head back to Williamstown for the Hopkins Forest Fall Festival. This event, which runs from 1 to 4 p.m., celebrates the changing of the seasons and the bounty of our wooded environments, and features music, apple butter and cider production, refreshments, a canopy walkway, an active honey bee hive, and children’s activities including a crafts table.

There will also be hands-on activities including traditional shake-splitting and a cross-cut saw competition.  The festival is free to the public and appropriate for all ages in the lovely forest, tucked off the beaten path but close to downtown Williamstown. You can find directions here.

Otherwise, get outside and pick some apples, rake some leaves and enjoy the weekend.

I miss Curious George.

Let me explain. "Curious George" was the one cartoon on PBS my daughter watched regularly from the time she was a toddler pretty much up through first grade. Her first, second and third birthday parties were all George-themed. I loved the show and the monkey as much as she did ... maybe even more.

Last year, in second grade, she might stumble upon the show and watch it for a few minutes. We also made sure to catch the oh-so-cute George movie, "A Very Monkey Christmas," around the holidays. But this year, George is no longer a constant companion in our house.

And I miss him terribly. Every day, 8 a.m. and 3 p.m., George would fill our house with his innocent naughtiness, his zeal for discovery, his love of friendship and fun. So if my daughter doesn't want to go to "Curiosity Day" at the Berkshire Athenaeum on Saturday, Sept. 20, I just might go without her!

From 10:30 a.m. to noon, kids of all ages are invited (even 39!) are invited to come meet Curious George himself. There will also be snacks, crafts and all sorts of activities to encourage every child’s curiosity, including five different activity stations that will promote Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math as part of the Full STEAM Ahead programs coming soon to the Berkshire Athenaeum. This family event is free, and no registration is required but children under 10 must be accompanied at all times by an adult over 18 years of age. 

I wonder if adults over the age of 18 need to be accompanied by a child?

The other family events this weekend also seem to be centered on Saturday, including the "Miles for Moments" family fun day to raise money for and awareness of Moments House, which supports friends, neighbors and families living with a diagnosis of cancer. The event, to be held at Burbank Park on Onota Lake in Pittsfield, includes a 5K walk and run as well as a kids fun run at 11 a.m., followed by a full day of music, crafts and more through 5 p.m.

Also on Saturday is the highlight of the weekend-long celebration in Lee, Founders Day. The event does kick off Friday night with the "Taste of Lee" street fair, but the hometown parade on Saturday at 11 a.m. is an annual highlight - this year made all the more special by a visit by Ronald McDonald, who will be marching along with bands, firemen, clowns, veterans and Parade Grand Marshal Smitty Pignatelli. In addition to the parade, there are plenty of other activities for the kids and the whole family: see the complete schedule here.

Enjoy this last official weekend of summer!

Rebecca Dravis is the community editor at iBerkshires. She can be reached at rdravis@iberkshires.com.