The Hometown Rally will be held after school outside Queens Borough Hall at 3pm on Monday, October 26. The event is FREE and open to the public, who are encouraged to don Mets attire. The first 500 fans in attendance will receive Mets T-shirts; fans can enter raffles for additional team gear and Modell's gift cards. Family-friendly entertainment will include face painting, a Mets trivia contest, a climbing wall to scale and more. Former Mets players Edgardo “Fonzie” Alfonzo and John Franco will be on hand to hype up the crowd along with local TV and radio personalities, and of course, Mr. and Mrs. Met. Free food and beverage samples will be provided by Queens-area merchants. Officials are encouraging everyone to take public transportation due to expected crowds.

Fans further east can celebrate in Mineola, where Nassau County is hosting a Mets rally of its own Monday beginning at 5pm in front of the Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative Building.

The World Series' first pitch is scheduled for Tuesday, October 27 from Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City at 8pm. The Royals own home-field advantage by virtue of the American League's victory in the annual Major League Baseball All-Star game and will host Games 1 and 2; the series shifts to Citi Field in Queens for Games 3-5 and is back in KC for Games 6 and 7, if necessary. The World Series is played in a best-of-seven format. For a complete schedule visit the MLB website. All games will be broadcast locally by Fox.

While die-hard fans might not let the Series pass without at least trying to secure a ticket to the game, know that the price of admission is steep: Standing-room only tickets can be had for the bargain price of $445! If that's too rich for your pocketbook, we've got a few less expensive ways to get in the spirit of the post-season without breaking the bank.

• Celebrate the Mets and the spirit of Halloween by dressing up as your favorite slugger or display your fandom on your stoop with a Mets-inspired Jack-O-Lantern.
   
• Have a pint-sized slugger? Head to the Children's Museum of Manhattan to check out the newly opened NYC + Me: A Little Bite of the Big Apple exhibit, which is alive with Mets fever. The gallery is decorated in Mets paraphernalia and fans can craft their own pennant or Mr. Met puppet.  
   
• Host a pre-game "tailgate" party. The first pitch of the series might be too late for young fans, but mix up your usual dinner routine to serve ballpark foods like nachos, hot dogs and French fries. My kids love when we eschew the table for a picnic in front of the TV. Why not get in the spirit by watching the pre-game show?
   
• Don't forget dessert. Whip up some Mets-inspired cookies, cake pops or cupcakes.
   
• Bigger kids can channel their inner Daniel Murphy—the slugger is the first player in MLB history to hit a home run in six consecutive post-season games—and stage an after-school home run derby. Head to your local park to let them fly or visit one of the batting cages in city limits. Invest in this special Murphy-inspired T-shirt as a prize.
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• Give yourself or your little cutie a Mets mani/pedi. Keep it simple with alternating orange-and-blue digits or get fancy with some Mets decals. Face paint and temporary tattoos are another fun way to wear your team colors.
   
• Stock up on Mets World Series gear. While a trip to the official store at Citi Field might be fun, I spotted some budget-friendly options at a street vendor's table Friday...only in New York!

Photo courtesy of Kim Martin-Shah