Brown Bear Turns 50 Imagine how many times and in how many locales the question has been asked. “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?’’ has been translated into 31 languages and sold 16 million copies since the classic kids’ book was published in 1967. This exhibit displays illustrator Eric Carle’s original artwork for every page as well as collages from his other works with author Bill Martin Jr. Sept. 13-March 19. Eric Carle Museum, Amherst. 413-658-1126. www.carlemuseum.org

Ferris Bueller’s Day Off If John Hughes’s mischievous 1986 comedy were set not in Chicago but in Boston, Bueller might have ended his day of truancy by taking in a movie under the stars on the Common. This screening in Mayor Walsh’s Movie Nights series is presented in association with the Parks and Recreation Department’s ParkARTS program. Sept. 16 at dusk (approx. 7:45 p.m.). Free. Frog Pond, Boston Common. 617-635-4505. www.boston.gov/parks. (One week later, same place: “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.’’ Interested, Ferris?)

Revels RiverSing Sing goodbye to summer and welcome to fall in this 13th-annual seasonal celebration on the banks of the Charles. Family festivities begin at 5 p.m. in Winthrop Park near Harvard Square, and a puppet-filled parade at 5:45 p.m. leads to the river. The Revels Chorus will be joined by guest soloists and the anticipation of falling leaves. Sept. 18. Singing begins at 6 p.m. Free. Near Weeks Footbridge, adjacent to Memorial Drive at DeWolfe Street, Cambridge. 617-972-8300. www.revels.org

Encircling the World: Contemporary Art, Science and the Sublime Creativity lives at the intersection of art and science, as does investigation. This exhibit features the works of artists who explore scientific phenomena and, through their interpretations, depict what usually goes unseen. Grown-ups might walk out with minds as unencumbered as their kids’ naturally are. Sept. 19-Dec. 3. Free. Bakalar Gallery, Massachusetts College of Art and Design. 617-879-7337. www.massart.edu

Backyard and Beyond: Nature Journaling Create your own nature journal in the treehouse-equipped play area at the Discovery Museums. Then fill it during a “Signs of the Season: Fall’’ walk on conservation land, searching for and documenting signs of autumn. And not just fallen leaves, either. (Note: Trails are not accessible for those with disabilities or in strollers.) Sept. 21., 11 a.m. (for journal making, then walk at 11:30 a.m.). Free. Great Hill Conservation and Recreation Land, Acton. 978-264-4200. www.discoverymuseums.org

Machine de Cirque Using props such as a teeterboard, juggling clubs, and a drum kit to inventively propel a postapocalyptic story line, this young Quebec troupe is known for being at once acrobatic and humorous. An alluring combination for all ages, presented by ArtsEmerson. Sept. 21-Oct. 2. $10-$80. 617-824-9400. www.artsemerson.org

Fancy Nancy The MuSical Based on the series of best-selling children’s books about a girl with extravagant tastes in, well, everything she encounters, this musical follows Nancy and friends as they prepare for a stage show. Let’s just say that learning their roles becomes a life lesson. Sept. 24-Oct. 9. $10-$28. Larcom Theatre, Beverly. 617-424-6634. www.bostonchildrenstheatre.org

Odd Squad Live! “Odd Squad’’ is an Emmy Award-winning PBS series about a spy organization run by kids who investigate strange occurrences. This musical stage adaptation enlists young sleuths in the audience to help unravel clues and foil the dastardly Father Time, among other villains. Oct. 9, 2 p.m. $29-$59. Hanover Theatre, Worcester. 877-571-7469. www.thehanovertheatre.org

RingLing Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus Featuring clowns to acrobats, tamed tigers to tightrope walkers, “Circus Xtreme’’ is the latest incarnation of a spectacle that’s thrilled families for nearly 150 years. How often do you get to treat your children to the very thrills that you experienced when you were their age? Oct. 13-16. $17-$127. TD Garden. 800-745-3000. www.ticketmaster.com

Jack Hanna’s Into the Wild LiVE! “Jungle Jack’’ is a familiar face to many, since he made more than 100 appearances on Letterman. His own Emmy-winning show, “Into the Wild,’’ introduced viewers to some of the world’s most fascinating animals. Now he’s bringing the show to the North Shore habitat for a live appearance featuring storytelling and footage from the wild. Oct. 15. 7 p.m. $23-$47. Lynn Memorial Auditorium. 781-599-7469, www.lynnauditorium .com

Lunar Attraction The moon has always had a pull on us, from its gravitational control of our ocean tides to the psychological effects that many believe come with a full moon. This exhibit of contemporary art explores the celestial fascination of earthlings. Oct. 15-Sept. 4. Admission $20, seniors $17, students $12, youths (16 and under) and Salem residents free. Peabody Essex Museum, Salem. 978-745-9500. www.pem.org

Cardboard Explosion! The fall schedule at Puppet Showplace Theater is filled with elaborate reenactments of fairy tales . . . and then there’s this reinvention. Using nothing but pieces of cardboard, the theater’s resident artist, Brad Shur, creates puppet characters and brings them to life in an interactive story. You’ll never look at a discarded shipping box the same way. Oct. 16, 3 p.m. $12. Puppet Showplace Theater, Brookline. 617-731-6400. www.puppetshowplace.org

Akeelah and the Bee Adapted from the 2006 film starring Lawrence Fishburne and Angela Bassett, this is the story of Akeelah, an 11-year-old girl living in a Chicago housing development whose aptitude and determination drive her to the national spelling bee. Call it i-n-s-p-i-r-i-n-g. Recommended for ages 6 and up. Oct. 21-Nov. 20. $20-$38. Wheelock Family Theatre, 200 The Riverway. 617-879-2300. www.wheelock.edu

Disney On Ice presents Follow Your Heart Elsa and Olaf from “Frozen’’ are a natural fit for a skating show, but Dory and Buzz Lightyear as well as other Disney/Pixar characters also hit the ice, as do enduringly classic icons from Cinderella to Rapunzel, Mickey to Minnie. Nov. 4-6. $19-$95. DCU Center, Worcester. 800-745-3000. www.dcucenter.com

Hanna-Barbera: The Architects of Saturday Morning If you’re old enough to remember a time before cable TV, you probably associate Saturday mornings with cartoons. And Hanna-Barbera ruled those kiddie airwaves, with a roster featuring everyone from the Flintstones to the Jetsons, the Smurfs to Scooby-Doo. This is the first museum exhibit telling the creators’ animated story. Nov. 12-May 29. Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge. 413-298-4100. www.nrm.orgJEFF WAGENHEIM