Summerween 2026: How to Celebrate

With warmer weather rolling in, most have visions of lying out by the pool or on a blanket at the beach, watching the waves crash in to the shore. Some are already planning their backyard barbecues and camping excursions. But, while everyone else is embracing the summer season, others are hoping the months pass quickly so they can welcome fall back in. Those people are dreaming of trading in the bathing suits and shorts for sweaters and boots, warming their hands on a steaming cup of coffee, crunching through leaves, and, of course, getting ready for Halloween. But what if there was a holiday that combined the best of both worlds? Luckily enough, there is. Summerween is the amalgamation of all the best parts of summer and all the spooky goodness of Halloween into one unique celebration.

What Is Summerween?

But what exactly is Summerween? You may be surprised to learn that this holiday’s origins come down to a single episode of animated television. “Gravity Falls” is a Disney Channel cartoon that aired from 2012-2016, concluding after two seasons. The show quickly became a beloved piece of animation thanks to its unique setting, lovable characters, and fleshed-out storylines.

“Gravity Falls” is set in the fictional town of Gravity Falls, Oregon. That is where twins Dipper and Mabel Pines are sent to spend summer with their great uncle. But as the summer goes on, the twins notice that this small town is hiding a whole lot of secrets. Throughout their explorations, they come across more strange places and eccentric characters than they can count. One of those places appears in season one, episode twelve, titled “Summerween.”

Right as the episode opens, Grunkle Stan explains to Mable and Dipper that, in the town they’ve arrived in, the people are so enamored with Halloween that they celebrate twice a year. They’ve come up with their own summer version of Halloween known as, you guessed it, Summerween. As he talks, Grunkle Stan holds up a calendar with a red circle marking the date of Summerween. Though the calendar has no dates printed on it, if you count the squares, you’ll find it lands on June 22nd.

From this one episode, Summerween spiraled into an internet trend, with many adopting the fictional holiday into the real world. In fact, nowadays, even big brands like Walmart are capitalizing on the hype. Whether this is your first time celebrating or a yearly tradition, you’ll want to circle June 22nd on your own calendar. In the meantime, you can watch the full “Summerween” episode below to prepare for the festivities.

How to Celebrate

If you’re thinking of adding Summerween to your calendar this year, start planning the celebration ahead of time. Whether you plan on staying in for a cozy movie night, hosting guests for a themed extravaganza, or heading out on the town for some spooky yet summery activities, these are just a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing.

Food

Any good party needs snacks to go along with it, and even better if they’re themed snacks. For main courses, you can go the easy route and order pizzas. If not, you can have some fun making homemade food. Think burgers with cheese cut out to look like jack-o’-lantern faces and pumpkin shaped bread bowls. Savory snacks can include mummified pigs in a blanket, pretzel broomsticks, and veggie fingers. Wash it all down with potion-like floats and make sure to save room for dessert. My personal favorite ideas are ghostly s’mores, graveyard dirt cups, and witch hat-topped cupcakes.

Activities

If going out to celebrate is more your speed, some cities hold Summerween-themed festivals or markets where you can buy spooky paraphernalia. This is a great chance to mingle with others and get in the spirit. If you don’t have events like this near year, your local movie theater is likely to be playing some sort of horror movie. You can also do a creepy escape room or haunted house.

Even if you’re staying home, there’s lots of fun activities you can do. Straight from the show itself, you have jack-o’-melons. The townspeople carve up watermelons instead of pumpkins to ring in the night, which is an easy activity for one person, or twenty, to get involved in. Other activities could include roasting marshmallows, pinning the tail on the black cat, telling spooky stories around a campfire, or playing mystery games like werewolf.

Movies

Of course, no halloween or Summerween celebration is complete without a movie night. The key here is choosing movies that capture both the classic Halloween vibe and the essence of summer. Obvious choices are slashers set at summer camp or, one of my favorites, “The Lost Boys,” an 80s classic where vampires haunt the boardwalk. Below is a list of suggestions to get you started, but there are plenty more out there to choose from.

• “The Lost Boys” (1987)
• “Creature From the Black Lagoon” (1954)
• “Jaws” (1975)
• “Friday the 13th” (1980)
• “I Know What You Did Last Summer” (1997, 2025)
• “Midsommar” (2019)
• “Nope” (2022)
• “Sinners” (2025)
• “Sleepaway Camp” (1983)
• “Jennifer’s Body” (2009)
• “Zombieland” (2009)
• “The Evil Dead” (1981)
• “Little Shop of Horrors” (1986)
• “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” (1975)
• “Bodies Bodies Bodies” (2022)
• “Monster House” (2006)
• “Trick or Treaters” (2007)

Bonus: TV Shows

• “Gravity Falls” (2012)
• “Over the Garden Wall” (2014)
• “It: Welcome to Derry” (2025)
• “American Horror Story: 1984” (2019)

However you choose to celebrate Summerween this year, it’s sure to become your new favorite holiday.