Last Minute Cheap Summer Fun

Sun-worshipers relax. There’s still more than a month left before summer is officially over. Here’s how to maximize your fun — and funds — with activities that won’t break the bank.

10. Start Training for a Marathon
If the Olympics have awakened your inner athlete, then just run with it. Consider training for a half-marathon, and then work your way up to the full 26.2 mile distance. Check out the U.S. marathon race directory for a list of year round events, set a goal and start devising a training regimen.  Embracing the last weeks of summer with a fitness routine will whip your mind and body into shape before temperatures start to dip.

9. Set up Camp
All you need is an inexpensive tent and the will to rough it in the great outdoors. If you’d rather not go totally DIY, find a designated campground through Reserve America, a recreational reservation service that facilitates access to more than 100,000 campsites in 48 states. You’ll still have to flip your own burgers though.

8. Cycle Cross-Country
Take to the open road ... on a bicycle. It’s a simple gas-free adventure that burns calories and builds endurance. The Adventure Cycling Association, a nonprofit based in Montana, has mapped out 38,158 miles of routes in America and parts of Canada for those interested in touring the country on $10 a day. They’ll even match you up with one of their two-wheeled members if you’re looking for a buddy.

7. Ride a Roller-Coaster
Amusement parks aren’t only for the kiddies. Scream your head off at Six Flags, where some of the wildest roller-coasters in the country await. Batman The Ride is almost 11-stories tall and has two vertical loops, Goliath offers zero-gravity floating hills, and the brand new X2 has 360-degree rotating seats and head-first, face down drops that will make you wish you hadn’t eaten breakfast. Round up the whole family and receive a group discount when you buy online.

6. See Shakespeare in the Park
Since “summer’s lease hath all too short a date,” get free tickets for one of the bard’s most famous plays. Twelfth Night expires on August 16 in Seattle, The Merry Wives of Windsor runs through August 17 in Buffalo’s Delaware Park, and Richard III reigns supreme until August 30 in Oklahoma.

5. Watch an Outdoor Movie
What could be more romantic than seeing a classic film under the stars? Pack a picnic and head to New York’s iconic Bryant Park on August 18 to catch the original Superman (1978). Stop by Los Angeles’ Hollywood Forever Cemetery  on August 23 to watch Hitchcock’s Rear Window (1954) projected on a mausoleum. Or if you’d rather get a little summer loving, sing along to Grease (1978) on August 26 in Chicago’s lovely Grant Park.

4. Go Medieval
Engage in friendly swordplay at a Renaissance Faire, a gathering of jugglers, jesters, minstrels, knights and queens. Maryland’s fest   takes place in a wooded English Tudor village that even Henry VIII would’ve enjoyed, while Pennsylvania’s fair is set on the grounds of the Mount Hope Estate and Winery. Let the merrymaking begin!

3. Howl at the Moon
The August Moon Festival is a celebration that dates back to 1368 when the Chinese overthrew the Mongol Yuan dynasty with the help of messages hidden in tasty moon cakes. Eat plenty of these disc-shaped pastries in Boston’s Chinatown on August 17 or in San Francisco on September 6 and 7. Most cities with a sizable Chinatown will throw a street party to commemorate the holiday.

2. Booze it up in a Beer Garden
Why sit in the backyard with a six-pack when you can experience the camaraderie of a beer garden, where an expertly-poured pint always tastes better. Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden in Astoria, New York serves up authentic Czech food and polka music with every mug while Munchen Haus in Leavenworth, Washington is a Bavarian wonderland replete with costumed beer wenches.

1. Just Eat It
Good thing bikini season is winding down, because it’s prime food festival time across the country. On August 29 and 30, you can Smoke on the Beach in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina during the city’s beach, boogie and barbecue festival. And on September 20 and 21, Houston turns the heat back on with its annual Hot Sauce Festival.