What is Summerween?
Summerween is a fictional holiday coined by Disney XD’s Gravity Falls from season 1, episode 12 of the show. The fictional town of Gravity Falls, Oregon, celebrates the holiday on the second to last Friday of June. In the show, it’s summer’s version of Halloween, with Jack-o’-melons and trick-or-treating throughout the town.
Those who enjoy the spooky season festivities use this holiday as a way to incorporate Halloween into the summer months. Lovers of Halloween have used this fictional holiday to plan huge Halloween parties during the summer because who can really get enough spookiness?!
How People Celebrate
Even though Summerween is not a real holiday, fans of Gravity Falls, or Halloween in general, celebrate by hosting Halloween-themed parties in June or July. There are plenty of fun ways to bring a sense of spook into summer with friends and family!
- Host a Summerween Party: To celebrate, you can host a backyard Summerween bash with all your friends and family! Bring out the lawn chairs, set up tables, and look your spookiest!
- Watch Movies: For those who love spooky season but are not in the mood for a party, invite some friends over to watch classic spooky movies together. To spice things up, have everyone wear Halloween-themed pajamas and make festive cocktails.
- Wearing Costumes: You can celebrate Summerween as if it’s a regular Halloween celebration by wearing a fun costume! Make sure to wear some sunblock and bug spray while you are celebrating.
- Campfire Stories: Gather around the firepit, make some s’mores, and tell spine-chilling stories with your friends and family.
- Trick-or-Treating: For those having Summerween parties, put candy bowl stations around the party for guests to collect from.
DIY Decorations & Costumes
Get your backyard ready for the spooky festivities with a fun summer twist. Instead of the traditional jack-o’-lanterns, try a jack-o’-melon, carving spooky faces into watermelons instead of pumpkins. Light up the party with scary-faced tiki torches, which not only add an eerie vibe but also help to keep unwanted insects away. Dress up a skeleton in bathing suits and sunglasses for a fun touch! For an extra touch of Summerween fun, have candy bags as party favors to keep the spirit of Halloween alive!
Wear whatever makes you feel the scariest this Summerween! Whether you go as a mummy in a bikini, a zombie lifeguard, a cursed mermaid, a werewolf in a vacation button-up shirt, or even a classic Halloween villain in beach attire. (Like Jason or Freddy Krueger wearing swim trunks, cut-off shorts, and a snorkel.) There are endless ways to give your summer party a spooky summer vibe. You must think outside the box to mix scary and tropical elements together for the ultimate Summerween look!
Best Summertime Treats
Cocktails for the 21+ club: For those who want to cheers to Summerween, there are simple drink recipes just for you!
- The Witches Brew: Vodka, blue curacao, grenadine, sprite.
- Ghost Shots: Oat milk, whipped cream, vanilla ice cream, Creme de de Cacoa (or any cream liquor), and honey for the rims of the glasses. Don’t forget to draw a ghost face on the glasses!
- Black Magic Margaritas: 2 tbsp of black sanding sugar, ice, tequila, lime juice, black food coloring (mix red food coloring, blue food coloring, and green food coloring. if you cannot find black food dye in stores). Use limes and edible glitter for garnishing the drink
Spooky snacks: Party treats with a spine-tingling twist!
- Bloody Pretzels: Pretzel sticks drizzled with melted red chocolate candy melts.
- Boo-Berry Popsicles: Blend blueberries, coconut milk, and honey until smooth. Pour the mixture into popsicle molds and freeze until solid. Before serving, attach candy eyes to make them look like little ghosts.
- Mummy Hot Dogs: Mini hot dogs wrapped in crescent roll dough with little mustard eyes.
- Monster Melon Salsa & Chips: Dice watermelon, mango, cucumber, and jalapeño into small pieces. Squeeze fresh lime juice over the mixture and stir well. Serve with black and orange tortilla chips for a spooky yet tropical flavor.
