An Ode to the End of Summer 2026
August always makes me a little sad. Summer is my favourite season, and by the last few weeks of it I start thinking about everything I didn't do enough of. I should have gone to the beach more. I should have eaten outside more. I definitely didn't wear half of my summer dresses enough. And suddenly every warm evening feels slightly more important because you know there aren't that many left.
But I also love this part of summer. The last few weeks have a way of making you appreciate the season more than you did when you had months of it ahead of you. It makes you want to order the ice cream, stay for another drink, spend the whole day outside and make plans for no other reason than the weather is still warm.
So instead of mentally moving into fall the second September arrives, I'm giving summer a proper goodbye. These are the end of summer ideas I'm holding onto and the things to do before summer ends that make these last few weeks feel a little longer.
1. Plan a Late-Summer Weekend Away
If there is one time to plan a little weekend getaway, I think it's now. Late summer and early fall are perfect for going somewhere that doesn't require much of an itinerary. A lake, a beach town, a cottage, a small town you've been meaning to visit. Somewhere close enough that you can pack a weekend bag and leave without turning it into a major trip.
I spent the last weekend of August at Windermere House on Lake Rosseau in Muskoka, and it was exactly the kind of weekend I wanted before summer ended. There was something about the old lakeside resort, days spent by the water and evenings getting dressed for dinner that felt straight out of Dirty Dancing. The plan was simple: beach days, local bakeries, a little shopping, ice cream, lake-view dinners and drinks around sunset.
We spent most of the day by the water and went into Port Carling and Bala when we felt like leaving the hotel. There wasn't much to accomplish, which is exactly what I liked about it. You could sit at the beach for hours, come back to get ready for dinner and put on a sweater when it cooled down at night, sitting by the fire.
I have always loved the idea of a New England summer. Little coastal towns, hydrangeas, boats, beach days, seafood dinners, coffee runs and that very particular kind of summer where the biggest decision of the afternoon is whether to stay by the water or go into town.
I'm obviously quite far from New England most weekends, but I don't think you have to be in Nantucket to borrow from that lifestyle. Muskoka has its own version of it, and I love finding places closer to home where I can experience that same pace.
Of all my end-of-summer ideas, taking a weekend somewhere by the water might be my favourite way to close the summer. And if you're looking for things to do before summer ends, you still have time. Book the resort. Find the little lake town. Pack the weekender bag. The whole point is not to do very much once you get there.
2. Pack a Picnic
A picnic is one of those summer plans I always want to do more often. There is something lovely about taking an ordinary lunch or dinner outside and making an afternoon of it, especially toward the end of summer when the evenings are still warm but the heat of July has started to soften.
Pack the things you actually like eating rather than trying to create the perfect picnic basket. I would bring fresh fruit, cheese, focaccia sandwiches, and something sweet, then find a pretty spot in a park or somewhere near the water. Bring a book, stay for a few hours and go later in the afternoon if you want to catch the softer evening light. It is one of those end of summer ideas that can make a regular Sunday feel much more special, and one of the easiest things to do before summer ends without having to plan very far ahead.
3. Spend a Morning at a Farm
Late summer is one of the nicest times to visit a farm, go berry picking or spend a morning wandering through a farmers' market. Everything still feels so abundant at this point in the season, with berries, peaches, tomatoes, zucchini and flowers all at their best, and I love having a reason to spend a morning somewhere outside.
I would make a little day of it and get an iced coffee on the way, go berry picking if there is somewhere nearby, visit the farm shop and bring home whatever looks especially good. You can use what you picked to make something when you get home. It is one of my favourite end-of-summer ideas because it feels seasonal without feeling forced, and when I think about things to do before summer ends, enjoying the produce that is only here for such a short time is always on my list.
4. Get Ice Cream After Dinner
Ice cream after dinner is such a small summer pleasure, but it is one of the things I associate most with warm evenings. I love finishing dinner and deciding to walk somewhere for ice cream instead of ordering dessert, especially when it means staying outside for another hour and letting the evening continue.
There is something nostalgic about standing outside an ice cream shop on a warm night, choosing a flavour and finding somewhere to sit while everyone finishes theirs. It doesn't need to be turned into a bigger plan, which is exactly why I love it. Some of the best end-of-summer ideas are simply reasons to enjoy an ordinary evening a little more, and this is definitely one of the things to do before summer ends that I want to fit in a few more times.
5. Host an End-of-Summer Dinner
I love having people over toward the end of summer, especially when the evening can feel like a little transition into fall. There are still beautiful tomatoes, leaks, zucchini and squash to cook with, but the nights are becoming slightly cooler and candles start to feel appropriate again. It is such a lovely in-between point in the year for a dinner at home.
I would set the table outside if the weather is nice, bring home flowers, make something seasonal and keep the menu fairly relaxed. Good bread, a tomato salad, something from the grill and peaches (or a homemade peach pie) for dessert would be perfect. Put on music before everyone arrives and let the evening carry on after dinner with drinks and candles once it gets dark. Of all the end of summer ideas, this feels like one of the nicest ways to celebrate the season while also welcoming what comes next. If you are looking for things to do before summer ends, invite a few people you love over for dinner before it becomes too cool to keep the evening outside.
6. Stay Out for the Late-Summer Sunsets
I always notice the sunsets more at the end of August. They start arriving a little earlier, which I don't particularly like, but it also makes me appreciate the long summer evenings while we still have them. This is the time of year when I want to take a long walk after dinner simply because the weather still allows for it, sit outside somewhere for a drink, or stay at the beach until the last of the evening light begins to fade.
There are still so many evenings left that can be spent outside, and I think we sometimes move indoors much earlier than we need to once September arrives. One of my simplest end-of-summer ideas is to make the evening itself the plan. Find somewhere pretty, bring a coffee or meet a friend for a drink and stay until sunset. Of all the things to do before summer ends, making the most of the remaining light is one I know I will miss once the days become shorter.
7. Don't Rush Into Fall
I love fall, but I don't love how quickly we seem to rush toward it. By August, stores are already filled with sweaters and back-to-school collections, and it becomes very easy to start thinking about boots, warm drinks and October weekends while it is still perfectly warm outside. Truly, the end of summer is September 23rd.
I would rather enjoy the season that is actually here. I am still wearing my summer dresses, nautical colours, choosing the patio and spending warm weekends near the water for as long as I can. Fall will have its moment soon enough, and I think one of the most overlooked end-of-summer ideas is simply allowing yourself to enjoy these last few weeks without constantly looking toward the next season. When thinking about things to do before summer ends, sometimes the answer is to keep doing the summer things you already love for a little longer.
8. Fall in Love with a Summer Ingredient
One of my favourite ways to enjoy the end of a season is through food. Choose a fruit or vegetable that is particularly beautiful right now and use it as much as you can while it is still at its best. For me, that is heirloom tomatoes. They are so gorgeous at the end of summer, and I plan on making the most of them while they are still everywhere.
I love them sliced simply for a tomato salad, on toast, tossed into pasta or served alongside dinner with a little salt and olive oil. Berries and corn would be just as lovely. This is one of those end-of-summer ideas that naturally becomes part of your everyday routine rather than another thing you have to schedule. If you are thinking about things to do before summer ends, choose the ingredient you always associate with this season and make your favourite recipe with it one more time. Also, learn how to make jam before berries go out of season.
9. Choose a Summer Habit to Bring Into Fall
I have been thinking about the parts of my summer routine that I don't actually want to give up once September arrives. Summer naturally gets me outside more and makes everyday plans feel a little more spontaneous. There are more walks, more coffee outside, more dinners with friends and more reasons to leave the house simply because the day is beautiful.
I like the idea of choosing one of those habits and intentionally keeping it through fall. Maybe it is going for a walk after dinner, keeping fresh flowers at home, taking your coffee outside while the mornings are still mild, choosing to get dressed properly instead of wearing a tracksuit or pyjamas around the house. This is one of my favourite end-of-summer ideas because it makes September feel like an evolution rather than a complete reset. One of the nicest things to do before summer ends is decide what made your days feel especially good this summer and find a way to keep a little of it.
10. Make a Little Summer Time Capsule
Before summer becomes a collection of photos buried somewhere in my camera roll, I love the idea of making a small record of what this particular summer looked like. Choose a couple of photos, or as many as you want, that remind you of the season you actually had. They don't need to be your most beautiful photos. A dinner table, a beach day, a drink somewhere you loved or an ordinary afternoon.
Save them together in a note on your phone or give them a page in your journal, then add five little prompts underneath: currently loving, currently learning, currently trusting, currently noticing, and before the year ends. I love the idea of looking back later and remembering not only where I went that summer, but what I was interested in, what I was thinking about and what I was looking forward to at the time.
It is one of the more personal end-of-summer ideas, and perhaps one of my favourite things to do before summer ends. I think August will always make me a little sad because I will always wish summer lasted longer. But there is something very beautiful about these last few weeks when everything becomes slightly more noticeable. I appreciate the warm evenings more, I want to stay outside longer, and even something as ordinary as getting ice cream after dinner feels like something I should say yes to while I still can.
For now, I am happy to let fall wait a little longer. There are still picnics to pack, tomatoes to eat, sunsets to watch, dinners to have outside and a few more summer days worth making plans for.
Yours Truly,
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