With the Mower County Fair and — by the end of Sunday — the Austin ArtWorks Festival in the past, many of us are fighting the late summer doldrums.

Though fall officially begins Sept. 23, Labor Day on Sept. 7 is the unofficial end of summer as traditional calendar school students head back to school.

 Minnesota Renaissance Festival

9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends from Aug. 22 to Oct. 4, along with Labor Day and Oct. 2, at 12634 Chesnut Boulevard, Shakopee

What better way to stall out for a little more summer than taking a trek through time. There’s no shortage of stuff to do at Ren Fest: an assortment of shows, foods and drinks, gifts and trinkets, old school weaponry, Twig the Fairy and more.

 Minnesota State Fair

Aug. 27-Sept. 7

Didn’t get your fill of fair food and attractions at the Mower County Fair? The State Fair returns with a slate of new foods like cannolis and cowboy bits — see more at www.mnstatefair.org/fun/new_food/index.html — and a slate of old treats. We’re most excited for the chocolate chip cookie booth and the milk stand.

 Mower and Freeborn’s nature preserves

The Jay C. Hormel Nature Center, 1304 21st St. NE, Austin, the Myre-Big Island State Park, 19499 780th Ave., Albert Lea, and Lake Louise State Park, along with the Shooting Star and Blazing Star bike trails offer a great chance to get outside without the excessive heat of mid-summer. Plus, here’s hoping we’ll be able to avoid the bugs and mosquitos in late summer and early fall.

 Target Field and the Minnesota Twins

As fall and the MLB post season approaches and football schedules kick off, America’s pastime is still the perfect way to keep summer alive. As of Monday, the twins were a game and a half back in the American League wild card race, so get ready for meaningful baseball in August and September in Minnesota.