Do summer's hot, humid days have you craving cooler fall weather? Bring a little fall nostalgia to life with a Summerween party! Summerween has been gaining steam, but it's still new enough that some are wondering what they can do to participate in the festivities. We'll share our favorite tips, tricks, and treats for an epic Summerween. It's the spookiest way to enjoy a hot summer day!
What is Summerween?
Summerween was derived from the 2012 cartoon series Gravity Falls, in which local residents celebrated Halloween-style on June 22nd, or the second-to-last Friday in the month. Some people have adopted this day as the official day to host a Summerween party, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy Summerween on other dates during the summer. Generally, it's a fun mix of tropical and Halloween themes, making it a fun way to beat the heat!
How Does One Celebrate Summerween?
Summerween may not have the trick-or-treating aspect as Halloween does, but you can take nearly every other aspect of a Halloween party and add a summery twist. For example, you can carve jack-o-lanterns out of watermelons. (Some call them jack-o-melons.) Or, craft Halloween drinks with a frozen twist! Dressing in costumes is also recommended, but you'll want to consider warm-weather costume ideas so you're not getting heatstroke. We'll share some of our favorite Summerween party ideas below, but don't be afraid to create your own!
1. Carving Jack-o-Melons
Carving jack-o-lanterns is an iconic Halloween pastime, but summer is too early for pumpkin season. However, watermelons also work well for carving! We recommend scooping out the insides with a melon baller or a tough measuring spoon so you have bite-sized watermelon pieces to savor for later. A carved watermelon also works well as an addition to your snack table—but make it scary!
2. Watching The Perfect Summerween Movies
Do you love Halloween parties where you watch scary movies or Halloween movies together? We might have a few suggestions for Summerween movies! Gravity Falls and its "Summerween" episode are a great place to start to set the mood. Then you have classics like Jaws, the ultimate beachy summer thriller. Bring summer camping vibes with the Friday the 13th series, and don't forget about I Know What You Did Last Summer! If you expect to have kids at the party and need something kid-friendly, try movies like Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation or Scooby-Doo on Zombie Island.
3. Scary Campfire Stories Around a Summer Bonfire
Telling scary stories around a campfire is popular, especially at summer camp and during camping vacations. There are many classic scary campfire stories, from "The Hook" to "The Licked Hand." If you're a good storyteller, you can make up your own spooky tales! If you need a scary twist on campfire s'mores to accompany a night of storytelling, get a tube of red cookie icing and drizzle it over your marshmallow to look like dripping blood just before you add your top graham cracker.
4. Summerween Treat Ideas
Halloween foods and treats, but make them summery! Summerween is a great time to bring out the cold treats and drinks to beat the heat. Grenadine dripped inside a glass gives frozen drinks like milkshakes a nice bloody look, and cherry red sodas turned into floats are excellent non-alcoholic options. (Of course, you can make them BOOzy too!) Take refreshing fruits like bananas and turn them into banana ghosts, or carve a shark watermelon filled with tasty melon balls. There's no limit to creativity here!
5. Warm-Weather Costume Ideas
Shop all Hot Weather Costume Ideas
It wouldn't feel like Halloween without the costumes! If you want a comfortable Summerween experience in costume, we highly recommend finding Halloween costumes for warm weather. Think of characters, occupations, celebrities, and more wearing shorts or short dresses and sleeves. Running Forrest Gump is a classic costume idea with shorts, and we love Ellie Sattler from Jurassic Park! Also, women and men have plenty of options if you're comfortable wearing a sexy Halloween costume.
We hope you're ready to have the best Summerween ever! Are you excited to give Summerween a try this year? Are you looking into it for a future party idea? Let us know if you have additional Summerween party ideas in the comments! We hope you have a scary good time.
