Sure, a Nor’easter may be approaching the Tri-State area, but that’s no reason to skip out on Melt Café & Gelato Bar’s attempt to make history. Today from 11am to 7pm, the shop is giving out free scoops of the Italian sweet stuff hoping to set a new world record for the most cups of gelato served in one day. Our advice: Try one of the classic flavors, like Stracciatella (chocolate chip) or Tiramisu. If you feel any guilt for downing the gratis treat, you can donate what you would have paid to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure organization, which Melt has partnered with as part of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. 11am–7pm. 1053 Second Ave between 56th and 56th Sts (meltgelato.com).

If you missed Saturday’s screening of The Wizard of Oz at the New York Film Festival, you can make up for it tonight—and without spending a dime.  In celebration of the movie-musical’s 70th anniversary, The Wizard of Oz will be shown this evening on Central Park’s Rumsey Playfield.

We wish this were happening on a weekend afternoon (is anyone in the Parks Department reading?) instead of pushing into well-past-bedtime territory. But hey, every kid deserves a bend in the rules once in a while, right?  Plus, there’s a live pre-show that parents are sure to love: Jennifer Hudson, Julianne Hough and ?uestlove of the Roots will sing songs from the film.

Remember to pack a picnic, but be sure to leave the bottles of Witch’s Brew at home—glass is prohibited at this event. And don’t forget your Lollipop Guild–approved suckers—they’ll never taste sweeter than on this fall evening.

Looking for some old-fashioned fun this weekend? Then check out the Historic House Festival. A joint effort of the Historic House Trust and the New York City Department of Parks & Recreation, the fest consists of myriad events at landmarked venues throughout the five boroughs, including the 30th annual Richmond County Fair at Historic Richmond Town, a 19th century baseball game, tours of structures such as Gracie Mansion and the Little Red Lighthouse, and an outdoor screening of the Jonas Brothers 3D Concert Experience (okay, so not everything is so historic). Most of the festivities are fairly inexpensive, some are even free. Check the official website for prices and a complete list of attractions that will have you and your kids yearning for simpler times.

Historic House Festival Sat Sept 12, Sun Sept 13 10am–4pm. Locations vary; see website for full schedule. All ages.

With so many different gaming platforms, it’s a challenge to keep up with (and pay for!) all the latest games to satisfy your tech-savvy kids. But beginning Sunday, September 13, you can save yourself a little cash by exchanging used (or new and unwanted) video games for gift cards at Toys “R” Us. The retail chain is taking a page from video game giant GameStop (who’s been doing this for a while now) by accepting trade-ins at the Guest Services desk from myriad systems, including Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation 1, 2 and 3, Nintendo DS, PlayStation Portable, even games from ancient platforms such as Atari 2600, Intellivision, Sega Genesis. (Better start dusting off those old cartridges!) Games must be in their original cases with artwork intact. No word on how much each title will be worth, but right now, the abandoned games stashed under your kids’ bed are worth nothing, so you can’t lose…unless the brood convinces you to spend even more than what you get on the gift card. That’s clearly what the folks at Toys “R” Us are banking on.