Now that summer has officially kicked off, it’s time to focus in on the different things you should do this summer, before it’s all over. After all, summertime comes and goes in Chicago with the blink of an eye.

1. Kayak on the river.

Get outside, enjoy the scenery of Chicago and most importantly try something different. There are a lot of rental services out there to help you, such as Chicago River Kayak Rentals.

2. Check out at least one outdoor music/food/art/street festival.

The Chicago Tribune releases an extensive schedule of the neighborhood, food, and street festivals for the summer season. Some notables include (Maifest in Lincoln Square, Taste of Randolph Street in West Loop, Jazz Fest in Millennium Park, Chicago Ale Fest, Wicker Park Fest…). Yes, it’s an extensive list, but absolutely worth checking out.

3. Catch a baseball game…regardless if you’re a White Sox or Cubs fan, nothing beats a cold beer and a hot dog at a game.

Here are the schedules for the Sox and the Cubs. Single game tickets are a pretty easy snag, and make sure to look out for those promotional games too!

4. Enjoy an afternoon or evening on a rooftop bar.

They are plentiful across the area and a very popular trend right now. Timeout Chicago has a fresh lineup of spots to seek out for 2018.

5. Visit a Chicago weekend destination.

Spots such as Galena, Lake Geneva, and New Buffalo are great spots to spend some time away from the hustle and bustle, yet they won’t require a painfully long car ride.

6. Get in the water!

Boat, swim, lily pad, whatever it may be, we only have 3 and a half decent months for our lovely summer weather. Get wet in the water, but most importantly get wild! There are also a nice lineup of boat parties to try out on Lake Michigan. Did somebody say “come sail away with me?”

7. Get in on the grilling action.

BBQ is a summertime staple. CountryLiving has you covered with 60+ grilling recipes.

8. Have a picnic!

Lakefront, Morton Arboretum, or even in your backyard, have a meal outside. Make sure to do it sooner rather than later, otherwise those scorching temperatures will keep you inside the cool air conditioning.

9. Exercise and get fit.

Now is the best time to get outside, get your body in the shape you want it. Take advantage of days you can run, bike, train or walk outside versus inside on a machine. Here’s Chicago Fitt’s Top 10 list of spots to run in Chicago.

10. Grab your crew together for an evening, and find a friend’s house to do a bonfire.

Most importantly, make sure bring s’mores! There’s nothing better than sitting around the camp fire, having some laughs, and enjoying good company.

And we do have two honorable mentions...

1. Give your car a nice detail. Nothing beats a slick looking’ ride out on the streets. Take some pride in that ride of yours.

2. This one ties into number nine, but no matter how far you are, go for a ride, bike ride, or walk on Lake Shore Drive. Lower those windows down, blast your headphones, and play your favorite artist. After all, this is coming from a music lover!