Get the most of summer this weekend in Richmond

The unofficial end of summer is officially here.

Why it matters: Unofficial fall starts Tuesday with its months that end in "ber," pumpkin spice everything and the expectation that one will regularly report to work for a full week.

• Basically, it's the seasonal end of joy.

Yes, but: We compiled a list of eight ways you can squeeze out the last dregs of summer this weekend and beyond.

🚤 Rent a boat

There's a flotilla of charter and rental options around Richmond at every price point, including this season's new option, self-captained retro boats docked at Rocketts Landing.

• If those don't float your boat, try tiki and paddle party boat rentals or pontoons from Kingfish Boat Rentals in Eastern Henrico.
• Fun fact: You can also rent jet skis through Airbnb-style boat rental company .

😵‍💫 Alter your mind

With some sips of kava, the psychoactive and mildly intoxicating tea, at Virginia's first kava bar, KavaClub , which opened in May.

• Kava is a Polynesian plant root ground into tea that's said to give drinkers a mild euphoria.
• Pro tip: Get the chaser shot with a mocktail, take a few sips of the mocktail and then pour in the kava, which is bitter-tasting on its own.

🎢 Find a thrill

Kings Dominion , Busch Gardens and Water Country USA are still open for the season if you're looking for some roller coaster and water park fun.

• Advance tickets for KD start at $49.99, $54.99 for Busch Gardens and $51.99 for Water County. Or get a two-day pass to both Busch Gardens and Water Country for $99.99.
• KD will be open most weekends through the end of the year; BG will be open most weekends though early January; WC will be open weekends through Sept. 22.
• Pro tip: You can rent a cabana at KD's Tidal Wave Bay, starting at $129 for eight people for the day if booked online in advance. It's part of KD's Soak City, which closes after Labor Day.

👙 Play pool

Richmond's outdoor public pools and splash pads are open through Labor Day.

• And they're all free, all the time.
• Fun fact: Pocahontas State Park and its water park are also open daily through the holiday. Adult swim passes start at $8.

🐐 Go wild

With a trip to Maymont's farm or the Metro Richmond Zoo in deep Chesterfield.

• Adult Richmond zoo tickets start at $25.95; Maymont is always free.
• Fun fact: The zoo also has a zip line, rides and the chance to feed the giraffes from the palm of your hand.

🏞️ Visit the best park ever

We mean the area's newest, Taylor Farm Park , which opened last month with a skatepark, playgrounds, spray park, cycling pump track, bike dirt skills course, mist mounds, treehouse and a zip-line.

• In the five weeks or so since it opened, Taylor Farm's racked up nearly perfect reviews * across the internet (even Redditors love it!).
• Fun fact: Two ladies on Google want to give it a perfect review, but the park allows dogs and they'd prefer it did not, per their reviews. A third loved it and found nothing negative to say, but still only gave three stars.

🦦 Find a spot on the river

The James is once again mostly poop-free , so head down for a dip while you can.

• Pony Pasture , Belle Isle and Tredegar Beach (where the rope swing is) are some of our favorites.
• Pro tip: Check conditions before you go. If the river is above 5 feet, use caution. Friends of James River Parks has the latest water temperature and river levels.

🐡 Eat an invasive species

Ready your palate to feast on the invasive Chesapeake Bay blue catfish , possibly the trendiest Bay seafood.

• Chesapeake Bay supporters and local seafood purveyors have been pushing to get the the fish on more local menus because eating it helps the Bay and our dwindling juvenile crab population.
• Pro tip: You can find it locally at Southbound , The Roosevelt , Richmond's three Skrimp Shack locations and as-of this week, Bubbas Shrimp Shack in Mechanicsville .