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12 things to do in DC before summer ends

Rachel Nania | rnania@wtop.com

August 1, 2017, 1:05 AM

WASHINGTON — It feels like summer just started, and yet, it’s almost over.

Looking to squeeze in a little more fun before Labor Day? Here are 12 ways to do just that.

The National Building Museum is abuzz this week — literally. Architects and construction crews are “busy as bees” putting the finishing touches on this year’s Summer Block Party exhibit, Hive, which opens July 4. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)
Check out Hive and attend a Backyard BBQ at the National Building Museum Each summer, the National Building Museum commissions an architect to develop a creative and interactive themed installation to fill its Great Hall. This year, that installation is Hive — three larger-than-life chambers, all made from more than 2,700 stacked paper tubes.   If you have yet to see what all the buzz is about, Hive will be open through Labor Day. And be sure to go hungry: Thursdays through Sundays, Hill Country will camp out on the museum’s lawn, serving barbecue, beverages and live music to visitors.   (WTOP/Rachel Nania)
WTOP/Rachel Nania
Filene Center at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts
Get out to Wolf Trap Nothing says “summer nights” quite like an evening at Wolf Trap. Pack a picnic (including your favorite bottle of vino), snag a spot on the lawn, and kick back and enjoy some of the best entertainment the D.C. area has to offer. A few upcoming events on the calendar include “La La Land” in concert with the National Symphony Orchestra, The Goo Goo Dolls, Lyle Lovett and His Large Band, David Sedaris, and The Beach Boys. Visit the website for information on shows and tickets. (PRNewsFoto/Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts)
PRNewsFoto/Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts
Chill out in National Harbor’s Summer Snow Globe  Need a break from summer’s heat and humidity? Head over to National Harbor and seek refuge in the neighborhood’s new Harbor Dome: Summer Snow Globe. Beginning Aug. 18, visitors 21 and up can enter the 64-degree winterized space and cozy up to the bar for a cocktail, or hangout and listen to live music. Don’t be surprised if you see a few snowflakes falling from the ceiling. Harbor Dome: Summer Snow Globe will be open to the public for 12 days only, Aug. 18, 19, 20, 24, 25, 26, 27 and 31, and Sept. 1, 2, 3 and 4. Find more information on the globe’s website. (Courtesy National Harbor)
Courtesy National Harbor
NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: Canella Spumante Rosé Brut being poured at a Dinner hosted by Chrissy Teigen and Mario Batali part of the Bank of America Dinner series curated by Chefs Club at Bank of America Building on October 13, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for NYCWFF)
Grab a glass of rosé … in a rosé garden For many wine fans, rosé is a must when it comes to summer drinking. If you prefer to sip in a scenic environment, get down to the riverfront at Yards Park. There, under pink-and-white striped umbrellas, you’ll find Whaley’s Rosé Garden. The outdoor bar serves 10 different types of rosés, plus snacks, including Maryland crab toast and oysters on the half shell. (Getty Images)
Getty Images
Catch an outdoor movie  No matter where you live in the D.C. area, chances are, there’s an outdoor movie series near you. WTOP’s Jason Fraley has a full list of 2017 local summer outdoor screenings. Don’t forget to pack the popcorn — we’ll see you there. (WTOP/Jason Fraley)
WTOP/Jason Fraley
Heather McAusland, left, and Eric Papula of Virginia kayak along the Potomac River near the Theodore Roosevelt Island, Saturday, June 9, 2007, in Washington. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)
Paddle the local waters  Quite possibly one of the best ways to take in the city’s monuments (and its surrounding parks and wildlife) is by boat — more specifically, by a kayak or canoe on the Potomac or Anacostia rivers. Both the Key Bridge Boathouse and the Ballpark Boathouse shorten their hours after Labor Day, so grab a paddle while you still can. (AP/Haraz N. Ghanbari)
AP/Haraz N. Ghanbari
SmokeB1.jpg
Celebrate D.C.’s growing craft beer scene  There’s no better time to cool off with a cold one than during the annual DC Beer Week, Aug. 20-27. With multiple events each day — from tastings to educational seminars — you’re sure to find one that suits your palate. (Courtesy Brian Hussein Stanton)
Courtesy Brian Hussein Stanton
In this May 30, 2014 picture, Wallie Leung, back left, and his wife Jenny eat an order of crabs at Jimmy Cantler’s Riverside Inn in Annapolis, Md. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
Crack into local crabs  Crab feasts are a long-standing summertime tradition in the D.C. area. If you have yet to crack into the seasonal seafood, get your fill at the Chesapeake Crab and Beer Festival Aug. 19 at National Harbor. Can’t make it that day? Here are a few places to find crabs in the D.C. area, as well as closer to the Eastern Shore. (AP/Patrick Semansky)
AP/Patrick Semansky
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 09: Ronja Lerche, 2, of Erfurt, Germany, puts her feet in the fountain at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden, on June 9, 2011 in Washington, DC. A heat advisory is in effect for the Washington area, and temperatures are expected to be in the middle to upper 90s this afternoon. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
Jazz in the Garden, plus other outdoor concerts  Wind down the week with free live jazz in the National Gallery of Art’s Sculpture Garden every Friday from 5 to 8 p.m. through Aug. 25. A handful of other free concert series run through the end of summer, including Fort Reno, Yards Park, National Harbor and Strathmore. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images
CHICAGO, IL - SEPTEMBER 15: A diner eats lunch on the patio of a downtown restaurant on September 15, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois. Sales at retail stores and restaurants climbed 0.2 percent in August, marking the sixth straight monthly increase. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
Grab a patio seat at a local restaurant — and a deal Sometimes, dinner just tastes better under the stars on a cool summer evening. Aug. 14 through 20, grab a patio seat — and a deal — during D.C.’s Summer Restaurant Week. Hundreds of local restaurants are participating in the annual promotion. Find more information on the Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington’s website. (Getty Images/Scott Olson)
Getty Images/Scott Olson
Leap over to see the lilies  Summer is the perfect time to check out one of D.C.’s “hidden gems,” the Kenilworth Park and Aquatic Gardens. By August, the crowds have thinned from July’s big Lotus and Water Lily Festival, but blooms are still aplenty at this national park. (WTOP/Kate Ryan)
WTOP/Kate Ryan
NEW YORK - JUNE 30: People participate in a free outdoor yoga class in Bryant Park on June 30, 2009 in New York City. After weeks of unseasonably wet weather, New York and New England have been experiencing dry and warm days which have brought about a flurry of activity in area parks and recreation areas. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Fit in some outdoor fitness  While the long days are still around, take advantage of the extra hours of sunlight with free morning and evening fitness classes offered throughout the area. Georgetown’s Sunset Fitness in the Park series runs through Aug. 30, or join in on free yoga at Meridian Hill Park Sundays in August from 5 to 6:30 p.m. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images
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The National Building Museum is abuzz this week — literally. Architects and construction crews are “busy as bees” putting the finishing touches on this year’s Summer Block Party exhibit, Hive, which opens July 4. (WTOP/Rachel Nania)
Filene Center at Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts
NEW YORK, NY - OCTOBER 13: Canella Spumante Rosé Brut being poured at a Dinner hosted by Chrissy Teigen and Mario Batali part of the Bank of America Dinner series curated by Chefs Club at Bank of America Building on October 13, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images for NYCWFF)
Heather McAusland, left, and Eric Papula of Virginia kayak along the Potomac River near the Theodore Roosevelt Island, Saturday, June 9, 2007, in Washington. (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)
SmokeB1.jpg
In this May 30, 2014 picture, Wallie Leung, back left, and his wife Jenny eat an order of crabs at Jimmy Cantler’s Riverside Inn in Annapolis, Md. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 09: Ronja Lerche, 2, of Erfurt, Germany, puts her feet in the fountain at the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden, on June 9, 2011 in Washington, DC. A heat advisory is in effect for the Washington area, and temperatures are expected to be in the middle to upper 90s this afternoon. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - SEPTEMBER 15: A diner eats lunch on the patio of a downtown restaurant on September 15, 2015 in Chicago, Illinois. Sales at retail stores and restaurants climbed 0.2 percent in August, marking the sixth straight monthly increase. (Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)
NEW YORK - JUNE 30: People participate in a free outdoor yoga class in Bryant Park on June 30, 2009 in New York City. After weeks of unseasonably wet weather, New York and New England have been experiencing dry and warm days which have brought about a flurry of activity in area parks and recreation areas. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

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