Labor Day Weekend 2014: 5 Ways To Keep Summer Alive Even After Its Official End

Summer is officially on its way out, and what a gloomy farewell it will be. But instead of letting summer's end sour your mood, get proactive about prolonging its stay.

Here are five simple ways to keep the spirit of summer alive:

Keep up those outdoor workouts
Summer is all about open-air activities, and watching the sun dip behind the horizon a little earlier each night can wreak havoc on your outdoor workout routine. However, attitude is everything, fitness experts say. While colder weather might make training outdoors less appealing, keeping a positive perspective can do wonders for your motivation.

Need another reason to not let your summer workout routine slip with the season? Science says eschewing climate-controlled gyms for more natural settings is better for your health.

Beer gardens
Beer gardens are ubiquitous these days, having achieved a “cultural ascendancy” in cities across the country over the past decade. And what’s not to love about them? Cheap, large beers; the open-air concept; large tables for hosting big groups of friends; a sense of community (we’re all drinking large beers, doesn’t that make us all friends?)

Beer gardens can be a perfect way to keep the post-summer blues at bay -- that is, until winter.

Get into Ceviche
The seafood dish has long been popular in coastal communities across Central and South America and is now having its moment in the U.S. Ceviche is best described as a kind of marinated seafood salad and typically consists of fresh raw fish spiced and cured in citrus juices.

Light and refreshing, Ceviche is the perfect summer fare. Find a recipe that’s right for you -- perhaps this classic Peruvian-style ceviche from The Food Lab, or this one from famous Peruvian chef Gaston Acurio – to remind yourself of summer’s wonderful flavors.

Attend outdoor shows
Summer festivals and concert series are always a blast, and they don’t end yet. There are still several major outdoor music events coming up in various cities across the country, like the Riot Fest in Chicago Sept. 12-14, which features big-name bands such as The Cure, The National and Weezer.

Continue wearing summer prints If you live in New York, the unofficial (but kind of official) rule is that fall and winter require dark threads. That’s no longer the case. Summer prints are having a comeback, even when temperatures dip into the 30s, as the New York Times reported earlier this year.

Prints can brighten up even the most somber of post-summer days, but if you’re going to don a floral-patterned dress in October, don’t get caught shivering. Summer prints in fall are not for the faint of heart.