The blazing heat came late this year, and the Labor Day holiday will too, but there are still two more weekends of summer at the Jersey Shore to enjoy.

Most all of the beach towns have some events to attract and tantalize, and all the usual amusements and entertainment venues are still open.

From the casino showrooms in Atlantic City to Cape May's big quadricentennial to a down-home sailing race on Long Beach Island, there is still time to catch up on Shore fun.

Stone Harbor: Wetlands Institute

Each year, the Wetlands Institute seems to have more and more special educational programs, and they last right into September.

On Saturdays, there is a 9 a.m. fisherperson's primer, "Hooked on Fishing." Both kids and adults can learn how to bait a hook, cast a line, and reel the big one in. After that, at either 11 a.m. or 1 p.m., it could be time to do a "Salt Marsh Safari," which starts with a film, Secrets of the Salt Marsh, in the institute's main building, and can be followed by an interpretive walk with a guide through the bayside grounds. At 2 p.m., there is "Catch o' the Day," with a naturalist helping visitors drag a seine in key places in the wetlands to bring in crabs or shrimp or whatever happens to be biting.

All the above events are free with institute admission. Check out the institute Web site for programs on other days (www.wetlandsinstitute.org).

Tonight at 7:30, there is a benefit concert for the institute at the Middle Township Performing Arts Center, just off Seven Mile Island. Called "Music for the Marsh," it will feature singer-songwriters from the New York Songwriters Circle. Tickets: $15. Information: 609-463-1924.

The Wetlands Institute, 1075 Stone Harbor Blvd., Stone Harbor. Hours are 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays; 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays; 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sundays. Admission: $7, $5 for ages 2 to 11. Information: 609-368-1211, www.wetlandsinstitute.org.

Wildwood: Morey's Piers

Back in 1969, the brothers Will and Bill Morey decided they needed boardwalk amusements to secure their land, motel, and retail investments in Wildwood, and they introduced Wipe Out, a 12-lane giant slide, to a pier midway along the boardwalk.

Year after year, the Morey brothers, and now Will's sons, Will and Jack, have added more or less one amusement a year to their cache. They now run three piers with six roller coasters and about 70 other rides in Wildwood. Two of the piers have water parks as well.

This summer, the Moreys introduced "Magical Mondays," with Radio Disney performers coming to the piers. This Monday, 16-year-old Tiffany Giardina, who is touring to promote her album No Average Angel, will give two shows on Mariner's Landing Pier at 1 and 4 p.m. Shows are free and there will be a meet-and-greet with Giardina after each.

There is also a new coffee-table-type book, The Wild Ride (Exit Zero Publishing, $19.95), a history of the 40 years of Morey's Piers, available at the Morey Store at the Mariner's Landing Pier, Schellenger Avenue and the boardwalk.

Morey's Piers, Wildwood. Hours are noon-12:30 a.m. daily. Prices by height, $42-$55 a day. Information: www.moreyspiers.com.

Atlantic City: Dane Cook

One of the hottest comedians extant, especially with young people, Cook will be spending Labor Day weekend on the Boardwalk at Trump Taj Mahal. The casino room is an odd place for Cook, who usually either sells out arenas or prefers to try out new material in old-style small comedy clubs.

"On the other hand, it is my fans who tend to find me wherever I play. I don't usually appeal to ticket winners of the hotel-casino raffle," Cook said from his home in Los Angeles. Cook is 37, but he has great appeal among young people. He was even a presenter on the Teen Choice Awards this month. Though he doesn't expect to see many teens at his Taj Mahal shows, he likes the idea of a young audience.