Your First Cozy Weekend: NEO Family Guide for Nov 6 to 8, 2026

Weekly NEO Family Guide, Issue 2 | Moms of NEO | Free every week from Carey Ann George

Hi friend, it's Carey 👋

The clocks fell back last Sunday, and if your house is anything like mine, everyone is suddenly hungry for dinner at 4:30 and asking for pajamas at 6.

So this week I'm leaning all the way into it. This is our first cozy weekend: daylight adventures while the sun is up, then warm, indoor fun once it gets dark. I pulled together owls, art, a princess brunch, a 65-foot waterfall, and a dinner spot I genuinely love.

Grab your coffee. Here's the plan.

🍂 Top 5 This Weekend (Nov 6 to 8)

1. Día de Muertos at Cleveland Public Theatre (Cleveland, Gordon Square)

When: Saturday, Nov 7, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. The Folk Art Market runs 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and the "Skulls & Skeletons" Procession steps off at 3:30 p.m. (until about 4:15).

Where: Cleveland Public Theatre campus, 6205 Detroit Ave., Gordon Square Arts District

Cost: Free for all ages, but this year every guest needs to reserve a ticket ahead of time. A donation of $10 or more is suggested.

Why I love it: This is the 22nd year, and it's one of the most colorful days of the whole fall. Altars, live music, performances, a folk art market and Latin food, all in one walkable block. The procession is the moment the kids will remember, and this year's Grand Marshal is Willie Colón.

Link: cptonline.org Día de Muertos

2. Owl Hoot-enanny at North Chagrin Nature Center (Mayfield Village)

When: Saturday, Nov 7, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Where: North Chagrin Nature Center, North Chagrin Reservation, 401 Buttermilk Falls Parkway, Mayfield Village

Cost: No fee is listed on the Metroparks event page. Check the link before you go.

Why I love it: Live owls up close, naturalist talks, free-flying raptors, a scavenger hunt, an obstacle course and crafts. There's a Metroparks food truck on site, so lunch is handled. Nature centers are my secret weapon for chilly days because the fun moves inside when little fingers get cold.

Link: Owl Hoot-enanny (Cleveland Metroparks)

3. Royal Princess Brunch at the Akron Zoo (Akron)

When: Saturday, Nov 7 and Sunday, Nov 8, 9 to 11 a.m. Doors open at 8:30, breakfast starts at 8:45 and the characters arrive at 9.

Where: Akron Zoo (held indoors)

Cost: $45 for members, $50 for non-members. Kids under 2 are free on a lap (no food included).

Why I love it: A buffet brunch, music, and meet and greets with princesses, and your ticket includes zoo admission afterward. Costumes are encouraged (the zoo says come dressed as a fearless heroine). Good to know: tickets are limited, date-specific and non-refundable, and if you want your group seated together, buy all the tickets in one transaction.

Link: akronzoo.org/royal-princess-brunch

4. Play Day: Assembly Required at the Cleveland Museum of Art (Cleveland, University Circle)

When: Sunday, Nov 8, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Where: Cleveland Museum of Art, Ames Family Atrium

Cost: Free, no ticket required

Why I love it: Hands-on stations all over the atrium: a coloring-book giveaway, a reading nook with Cleveland Public Library, mechanical paper models with Sears think[box], collage-making with Akron Children's, a scanning electron microscope from Tri-C, and a giant banquet table. Easy to drop in, easy to leave when someone needs a snack.

Link: clevelandart.org Play Day

5. Free Family Day: Indigenous Voices at the Akron Art Museum (Akron)

When: Sunday, Nov 8, noon to 3 p.m.

Where: Akron Art Museum

Cost: Free (registration requested)

Why I love it: A lovely way to open Native American Heritage Month with your kids. There's a beadwork table, a drumming and dance performance, regalia on display, and "Native Stories" short films (recommended for ages 9 and up).

Link: akronartmuseum.org Free Family Day

💸 Free Fun

• Eye Spy & Campfire (Summit Metro Parks, Richfield): Sunday, Nov 8, noon to 3 p.m. at Furnace Run Metro Park (Brushwood Area). Grab a scavenger hunt list, walk the 1.3-mile Rock Creek Trail, then return your list at the campfire for s'mores and a prize while supplies last. It counts as a Fall Hiking Spree hike, too. No fee listed. Details
• Family Friendly Fun Series: Serge the Voyageur (Cleveland Metroparks): Saturday, Nov 7, 2 to 3 p.m. at Trailside Program Center. Songs and stories from the Great Lakes fur trade days. Free. Details
• Hunt of the Month at CanalWay Center (Cuyahoga Heights): Free drop-by scavenger hunt any day in November, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Perfect for a quick after-school stop. Details
• Veterans' Appreciation Days at the Akron Zoo: Nov 7 to 11, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Veterans and active military with a valid ID get up to five free general admission tickets, available at the ticket counter only (not online). Provided by KeyBank. Details
• Baby & Me Storytime, CCPL Solon Branch: Wednesday, Nov 11, 11 to 11:30 a.m. in the Story/Craft Room. Rhymes, songs, fingerplays and books. Details
• Fall Hiking Spree home stretch: The Summit Metro Parks spree ends Nov 30. Hike eight designated trails to earn your rewards (free for Summit County residents; out-of-county is $10 for first-year hikers or $5 for returning hikers). Volunteers help attach shields at F.A. Seiberling Nature Realm on Saturday, Nov 7, 1 to 3 p.m. Details

☔ Rainy Day Pick: Cleveland Museum of Natural History

If the weekend turns gray and drizzly (it's November in Ohio, so I'd plan on it), the Natural History Museum is my go-to. Dinosaurs, gems, live animals and the planetarium can fill a whole morning.

• Where: 1 Wade Oval Drive, University Circle
• Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed Mondays)
• Tickets: Adults (19 to 60) $25 in advance or $28 at the door. Youth (2 to 18) and seniors $18 in advance or $21 at the door. Under 2 free. Add a 3D movie or planetarium show for $7.
• Money savers: The Visitor Hall is always free. Residents of Cleveland, East Cleveland, Brooklyn, Euclid, Garfield Heights, Maple Heights and Warrensville Heights get free weekend admission (reserve online and bring proof of residency). SNAP EBT cardholders pay $1 for up to four people.
• Good to know: The museum is cashless, and there's garage parking on site. Buying ahead saves a few dollars a ticket.

Link: cmnh.org/visit and cmnh.org/tickets

🥾 Hike or Waterfall of the Week: Brandywine Falls

If you only see one waterfall this fall, make it this one. Brandywine Falls in Cuyahoga Valley National Park is a 65-foot waterfall that spreads out over the rock like a bridal veil, and late fall is a beautiful time to see it with the leaves down and the water running.

• Where: Brandywine Falls parking lot, 8176 Brandywine Road, Sagamore Hills
• Hours: Open daily, dawn to dusk. With sunset so early now, go in the morning or early afternoon.
• Little legs: The upper viewing area is accessible. The lower deck is about 80 steps down (and back up). Want more? The Brandywine Gorge Trail is a loop of about 1.4 to 1.5 miles.
• Parking tip: The lot is small, shared with the Bike & Hike Trail, and busiest from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
• Winter heads-up: The boardwalk may close when it's icy.

Quick insight for the kids: The falls look the way they do because a hard layer of Berea Sandstone sits on top of softer shale. That shale formed from mud at the bottom of an ancient sea, 350 to 400 million years ago. Back in the early 1800s, the creek's power ran mills right here.

Link: NPS: Brandywine Falls

🍔 Eats Near You: REWIND (Broadview Heights)

After the falls, head over to Broadview Heights for one of my 5-star spots. It's a 1990s video-store-themed neighborhood grill, and the details make you smile the moment you walk in. I wrote about why I love it here.

The menu is more than a theme: organic chicken, grass-fed beef, wild-caught seafood, sauces and dressings made in-house, and they skip industrial seed oils in their cooking. Try the Crispy Portobello Fries, and save room for the Banana Pudding.

Good to know:

• Where: 9174 Broadview Road, Broadview Heights
• Hours: Monday to Thursday 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
• Phone: (440) 587-1119
• Their motto: "Be kind. Rewind."

Link: rewindrestaurant.com and the menu

📅 Coming Up (Nov 9 to 15 and beyond)

• Wed, Nov 11: Veterans Day, and the last day of the Akron Zoo's free admission offer for veterans and active military.
• Fri, Nov 13: The Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad's North Pole Adventure begins (through Dec 22). Departures at 5 p.m. and 7:55 p.m. from Rockside Station in Independence, $60 to $110 per person. Pajamas encouraged. cvsr.org
• Sat, Nov 14: Shop-a-Holidays at the Akron Zoo, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. A holiday craft show with kids' activities. Details
• Sun, Nov 15: Last day for the self-guided "History of the Realm" hike on the 1.4-mile Seneca Trail at F.A. Seiberling Nature Realm (it earns Fall Hiking Spree credit).
• Fri, Nov 20: Wild Lights opens at the Akron Zoo (select nights through Dec 27).
• Sat, Nov 21: Candy Land Wild about Winter opens at Lake Metroparks Penitentiary Glen Reservation in Kirtland (free and indoors).

Holiday season is officially warming up. I'll have all the light shows mapped out for you in the next few issues.

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💬 Before you go

Your turn: What's your family's go-to after-school outing when it gets dark at 5? Hit reply or tell us in the Facebook group. I love hearing your ideas, and the best ones may end up in a future issue.

One favor: If this helped you plan your weekend, forward it to a mom friend who's always asking "what should we do this weekend?"

Find more family-friendly places at momsofnortheastohio.com and come hang out with us in the Moms of Northeast Ohio Facebook group.

See you out there,

Carey 🧡

Moms of Northeast Ohio

Dates, times and prices can change. Always confirm on the event's official page before you head out.