10 things to do in the D.C. area before summer ends

The end of summer is drawing near, but before you jump right into fall, send the warm-weather season off in style. Here are 10 things to do in the D.C. area before the leaves change and the temperatures cool. (WTOP Composite Photo/AP Photo)

WTOP Composite Photo/AP Photo

Dock hands at a Potomac River boat house pull rental kayaks from river at the end of the day in Washington, Wednesday, July 24, 2013. A several day heat wave finally dissipated in the nation's capital making for more temperate boating. (AP Photo/J. David Ake)

Paddle on the Potomac and Anacostia Paddle-boarding, kayaking and canoeing along D.C.’s rivers is a favorite outdoor pastime among Washingtonians (especially now when you can fuel up with a snack on the water from D.C.’s first food boat) — but it’s not a yearlong activity. The Key Bridge Boathouse closes Nov. 1 for boat rentals; the Ballpark Boathouse closes Sept. 27 and the National Harbor Boathouse closes Oct. 4. Paddle boat rentals at the Tidal Basin end Oct. 11. (AP Photo/J. David Ake)

AP Photo/J. David Ake

In this May 30, 2014 picture, Wallie Leung, back left, and his wife Jenny eat an order of crabs at Jimmy Cantlers Riverside Inn in Annapolis, Md. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Crack into those Maryland crabs Maryland’s famous blue-crab season ends in September, so now is the time to get your fill. Of course, you can take a day trip to some of the favorite crab outposts, such as Cantler’s and The Point, or you can stick around town with your mallet. City Tap House will host a Labor Day Crab Fest on Monday, Sept. 7, and Maryland blue crabs will be the star of the event. Folks can order a half-dozen for $19 or a full dozen for $38. Hushpuppies, corn on the cob and Old Bay fries are available on the side. If you’re really into crabs, there’s always the National Hard Crab Derby, a weekend-long festival that features crab races, a crab cooking contest, live entertainment and a carnival. Festivities kick off Thursday, Sept. 3 and run though Sunday, Sept. 6 in Crisfield, Maryland. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

AP Photo/Patrick Semansky

Excited children run though water as the fountains are turned on at Georgetown Waterfront Park in Washington, on Wednesday, June 20, 2012. Temperatures across the Northeast are expected to approach triple digits. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Take one last summer swim Most public pools and splash parks close by Labor Day, so now is the time to fit in that final dip. D.C.’s Banneker Pool is throwing a free Summer Night Pool Party on Saturday, Sept. 5 from 7 to 11:30 p.m. The Embassy Row Hotel is holding a Labor Day rooftop pool party on Saturday, Sept. 5. A $45 ticket includes admission and live music; drinks and snacks will be available for purchase. On Sunday, Sept. 6, The Donovan Hotel is hosting a Labor Day evening pool party from 6 to 11 p.m. Admission ($45) includes a welcome cocktail, live music and swimming. Also on Sunday, The Capitol Skyline Hotel is throwing a final pool party of the summer from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin

Taste summer’s local harvest at Epicurience Virginia Summer in the DMV yields some of the best produce — from fresh blueberries to peaches, corn, tomatoes and more. Get a taste of the local flavors, farm-to-table style, this Labor Day weekend at Epicurience, a three-day food and drink event in Leesburg, Virginia. The weekend includes educational seminars, chef demonstrations, live entertainment, and of course, lots and lots of tastings. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

Attend one last summer parade Nothing says summer like a small-town parade. Thankfully, there are still a few more to catch. The popular Labor Day parade returns to the streets of Gaithersburg, Maryland, on Monday, Sept. 7 at 1 p.m. The town of Kensington, Maryland, will also hold a parade on Monday; the event kicks off at 10 a.m. on Connecticut Avenue. (Thinkstock)

Thinkstock

Ilana Cohen, 9, of Alexandria, Va., jumps into a sea of plastic balls at "The Beach", an interactive architectural installation inside the National Building Museum in Washington, Friday, July 17, 2015. The Beach, which spans the length of the museum's Great Hall, was created in partnership with Snarkitecture, and covers 10,000 square feet and includes an ocean of nearly one million recyclable translucent plastic balls. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

Get in one more trip to the beach And you don’t even need to go to the real beach. (Because let’s be honest: You can still do that in the fall. And it’s lovely.) We’re talking about the beach exhibit at the National Building Museum, which closes Sept. 7. Bank on mild weather and no pesky sunburns — or sharks. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

AP Photo/Andrew Harnik

Filene Center at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts. (PRNewsFoto/Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts) THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED BY PRNewsfoto and is for EDITORIAL USE ONLY**

Listen to music outside The opportunity to listen to jazz in the garden at the National Gallery of Art has passed, but there’s still time to catch a summer concert at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts. Kelly Clarkson and the Pentatonix close down the season on Sept. 12. You can find the full summer concert schedule on Wolf Trap’s website. (AP Photo/Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts)

AP Photo/Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts

EXCLUSIVE - A general view of atmopshere seen at the "Independence Day Resurgence" Global Production Event on Monday, June 22, 2015, in Albuquerque, New Mexico. (Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Invision for Twentieth Century Fox/AP Images)

Watch a movie outside Screen on the Green is over for the summer, but you can still catch a classic film outside with the 5th Annual Cinema in the Circle on Thursday, Sept. 10 in Dupont Circle. “A League of Their Own” starts at 8:30 p.m., but get there early: a big crowd is expected. (Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Invision for Twentieth Century Fox/AP Images)

Photo by Eric Charbonneau/Invision for Twentieth Century Fox/AP Images

** ADVANCE FOR WEEKEND EDITIONS, July 22-23 **Tubers float down the Guadalupe River near New Braunfels, Texas, Wednesday, July 12, 2006. This year the New Branfels City Council has upped to $500 the maximum fine for violating a noise ordinance that says music from stereos shouldn't be heard more than 50 feet away. It also banned "volume drinking devices," better known as beer bongs, that people use to drink a lot of beer fast. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Tube, paddle, swim and more at nearby destinations Grab some buddies, your bathing suit and some water shoes and head up to Harpers Ferry or out to the Shenandoah River for a day of tubing. A number of companies organize tube rentals and transportation out to launch sites and back from end points. Go before it gets too chilly because you’ll definitely get wet. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

AP Photo/Eric Gay

Jyoti Bisbey and her children from left, Ansuya, 5, Arnav, 2, and Mohit, 9, wave from Gravelly Point Park at planes as they roar overhead landing at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, Sunday, June 16, 2013, in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Picnics and planes For a more low-key and peaceful summer evening, pack a picnic and head out to the riverfront at Gravelly Point park to watch the planes take off and land at nearby Reagan National Airport. It’s the perfect way to unwind from a busy summer and prepare for the upcoming season. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster