Let's talk about the elephant in the room. No, not the start of the school year: I mean the weekend festivities in Griffith Park. The LA Zoo is celebrating the pachyderm, and shedding light on the majestic beast's situation in the wild. It's the once-a-year chance to go behind the scenes and see how the "Ele" half lives.

They say an elephant never forgets. But you know who does forget? A kid who's been out of school too long. Luckily, the 2019/2020 academic year is fast approaching, with some kids returning to school as early as next week. Time to get a move on if you have any unrealized summer plans, like perhaps attending a county fair. (Both the OC and Ventura County fairs end this weekend, as do several of the summer concert series.)

You might be seeing double; it's really quite incredibles, this sorta summer, sorta schooltime, way out, out of this world. There's so much going on my brain is exploding. Or maybe that's just the fireworks.

Keep reading for our most elephantine list of picks for this pre-school weekend.

Can you believe it's August already? The summer's almost over. Last call for school break fun, cause we'll be back in school before you know it!

Oh, hey, look at that: the Actors' Gang free summer Shakespeare for kids is starting up this weekend. The Gang is doing a Toy Story-tinged Tempest, such stuff as dreams are made of. Nothing like your kids quoting Shakespeare when they go back to school, which they will be doing shortly because the summer is practically over...

Oh, hey, look at that: the Ventura County Fair is starting up this weekend. Nothing says summer like funnel cakes, carnival rides, and pig races. And then the summer is over for most intents and purposes, so maybe we should all be buying ski garb and looking into Christmas trees.

Oh, hey, look at that: The Getty Garden Concerts for Kids are starting up this weekend. It isn't summer until the Garden Concerts have started, I'll tell you that. Elena Moon Park and Friends celebrate folk and children's music from all over East Asia. With songs in Korean, Japanese, Mandarin, Tibetan, Taiwanese, Spanish, and English, you can dance or chill on the Getty Center Lawn to this family favorite. And then after that you can turn in your swim fins and sunscreen, because the summer is just about over...

Oh, hey, look at that: there are sharks in the water. I say "summer"; you say "run for your lives"! Where are those swim fins when you need 'em...?

Oh hey, look at that: Midsummer Scream is this weekend, offering spine tingling chills as you prep for the most ghoulish time of year... okay, now that one, it maybe does mean summer is over. But not before we enjoy this most spooky of weekends.

Keep reading for our best picks for what is, spookily enough, another awesome summer weekend.

It's one small step for Mom... one giant leap for the whole family as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of man's first steps on the moon. We look to the skies. We look to the skies some more. We look to the simulated skies. We look to the skies the way they did in the olden times... on a TV screen.

The commemoration reminds us of the boundless possibilities of all we can accomplish. We can get free lollipops and ice cream, and play for half the price. We can watch in awe (and no small degree of jealousy) as the population of Los Angeles decreases by half and San Diego's simultaneously increases by the same measure. (Must be magic.) Despite adversity, we can boldly go where no one has gone before.

Look at the stars. The great kings of the past look down on us from those stars. So whenever you feel alone, just remember: those kings will always be there to guide you and so will Mommy Poppins.

Take one small step... to keep reading for our most stellar picks for this weekend's fun.