For us fall-loving ghouls, summer can feel like a cruel joke. But add a little Halloween spirit—and suddenly, a sweaty season becomes your best spooky summer ever.
Allow me to introduce you to Summerween—where jack-o-lanterns become jack-o-melons and scary movie nights become haunted pool parties. If this is sounding like Halloween in the summer, that’s because it is!
Whether you want to add a splash of spooky to your summer, make it a horror-filled summer, or lean into all the things you love about Halloween, your Halloween-filled summer can be anything you want it to be!
Here’s an overview of what we’ll cover in this guide. Click any spooky section you want to dive into to start planning your best spooky summer ever:
What is Summerween?
What day is Summerween?
10 Fun Ways to Celebrate Summerween
Summerween FAQs
Splash Into Summerween
What is Summerween?
Summerween originates from a 2012 episode of the show Gravity Falls. In the episode, the town celebrates the holiday annually on June 22nd or the second to last Friday of the month. The residents of Gravity Falls love Halloween so much, they decided to celebrate it twice a year. On top of the iconic jack–o-melons, the episode features some fun, spooky lore behind the Summerween Trickster, too. I highly recommend watching the episode to get into the spooky summer spirit.
With the rise of the Halloween community, the holiday has quickly become a spooky summertime celebration that blends spooky Halloween fun with summer vibes. From Halloween Hunting to poolside scary movie nights to carving jack-o-melons, this seasonal celebration is so fun, I almost forget how much I miss Halloween…almost.
What day is Summerween?
Summerween is officially on June 22nd or the second to last Friday of the month, according to the show Gravity Falls, where the holiday was created. The celebration has now become a season-long tradition for the Halloween community. You can celebrate on the first day of summer, June 22nd, or all summer long!
10 Fun Ways to Celebrate Summerween
Much like Halloween, you can celebrate Halloween in the summer in any style you like. Whether you like fun, lighthearted spooky vibes, horror, or nostalgia, you can celebrate a spooky summer in many ways.
- Carve a Jack-o-Melon: Since pumpkins aren’t ripe in the summer, carve a jack-o-lantern out of a Watermelon. Not only is it easier, you can immediately make a quick and easy refreshing treat like I did during one of my celebrations.
- Splash & Scream Party: This is probably my favorite way to have some summer horror fun! Host a pool party with a screening of Jaws. What’s screams summer more than the iconic Jaws theme song and the fear that maybe, just maybe, a shark will appear out of nowhere in that pool you’re in.
- Spooky Decorations for Summer: There is no right or wrong way to do summertime spookiness. Let your spooky creative imagination float…literally. Add eerie lighting to your patio, paint flamingo skeletons, or snag yourself the pool floatie to die for.
- Make Creepy-Cute Summer Snacks: Ghost popsicles, monster s’mores, and blood orange spritzers? Yes, please.
- Tiki Terror Drinks: You can’t have all those spooky snacks without some drinks. Check out my collection of horror tiki mugs here and get inspired to conjure your own spooky summer cocktails.
- Host a Haunted Pool Party: Throw the ultimate Splashoween bash with a Halloween Party…but with all the fun parts of summer. Add some floating skeletons to the pool, eerie lighting, a Halloween playlist, and zombie slushies, and you’ll be the ghost host with the most. Get ready to make it an annual tradition everyone asks for.
- Spooky Summer Movie Marathon: Not a fan of the sun? Take the haunted summertime fun vibes indoors and soak in all the summer horror classic favorites like The Fear Street Trilogy, Friday the 13th, Jaws, and I Know What You Did Last Summer.
- Smores & Horror Book Club: Host a book club around a campfire with smores. I mean…tell me that’s not THE vibe!?
- Halloween Hunting: Summer is the primetime to check all your must-have Halloween decor items off your list. It’s not for the faint of heart, so here are tips from a certified Halloween Hunting wizard.
- Capture It All for Social Media: Share your summer looks, party setups, or watch lists on social media and tag me @MandySpooks for a chance to be featured!
FAQs
When is Summerween?
The official date to celebrate Halloween in the summer is June 22nd or the second to last Thursday of June, according to the show Gravity Falls. Most people now celebrate Halloween all summer long by fusing spooky and summer elements together.
What are the best Summerween movies?
Movies that take place in the summer with spooky vibes like Jaws, The Lost Boys, I Know What You Did Last Summer, and more.
Can kids celebrate a spooky summer?
Absolutely! Halloween in the summer is a great excuse for spooky crafts, storytime, and outdoor trick-or-treat games.
Where can I buy Summerween decor?
Stores like At Home and Home Goods start putting out Halloween stock in July—perfect for Halloween Hunting!
What are some spooky summer books?
Kill River and The Last Time I Lied are great horror reads in the summer!
Splash Into Spooky Fun This Summer
Are you ready to have the best spooky summer ever? To immerse yourself fully in all the summer horror fun, check out my spooky playlist on YouTube—I’ve had a blast reading spooky summer books, hunting for Sasquatch, and attending campy slasher events. And trust me… I’m just getting started. Be sure to subscribe, because there’s way more spooky fun in the sun on the way!
Not sure if you can actually vibe with Halloween in the summer because the heat’s your sworn enemy? I got you. Check out my favorite tricks and treats to survive summer and keep the spooky spirit alive—even when it’s 100 degrees outside.
Until next time, sending you ghouls and kisses!
