What Is Summerween? Why Everyone Is Celebrating Halloween in July and the Dollar Tree Finds to Match
Summerween is taking over social media as Gen Z embraces Halloween in the middle of summer. Here is what the holiday actually is, how people are celebrating it and the best Dollar Tree finds to pull it off without blowing your budget.
What is Summerween and where did the trend come from?
Summerween is a mid-summer celebration of Halloween that blends the nostalgia of the fall holiday with warm-weather aesthetics. The concept originated in Disney’s animated series “Gravity Falls,” where Grunkle Stan explains, “The people of this town love Halloween so much, they celebrate it twice a year.”
The idea has since grown into a full Gen Z trend, complete with themed decor, mid-summer costume parties and horror movie marathons. Andrew Boza of the Crafty Lumberjacks told Charlotte Today, “Summerween is the combination of the nostalgia of Halloween with the playfulness of summer. It’s colorful, it’s over the top, and you can make it as creative as you want.” Boza and Dennis Setteducati are nationally recognized lifestyle influencers and DIY creators known for viral crafting content and party ideas.
How do you celebrate Summerween at home?
Decorate with a mix of summer and Halloween touches, throw a costume party, host a horror movie marathon or try some Summerween crafts. Retailers now stock Summerween-specific items like festive banners, pumpkin beach balls, Jack-O-Melons, surfing pumpkins and skeleton pool floats.
Pick a direction first, spooky or playful, then commit. “If you want to make a real statement, think about your theme first. Do you want it to be spooky or more playful? Then really lean into that contrast between summer and Halloween,” Boza told Charlotte Today. Small details like themed straws and customized drink stations add polish. For movie night, camp classics and beach horrors fit the vibe, including “The Lost Boys,” “Practical Magic,” “I Know What You Did Last Summer,” “Jaws” and “Friday the 13th.” Watch outside on a projector for bonus points. Crafts are accessible too. “Even beginners can create polished party details at home,” Setteducati said.
What food and drinks should you serve at a Summerween party?
Swap pumpkins for fruit-o’-lanterns, wrap crescent dough around hot dogs for mummy dogs and mix a batch of blood punch. Each idea keeps the Halloween feel while embracing summer produce and outdoor entertaining.
Carve silly faces into watermelons or pineapples instead of pumpkins, then eat what you scoop out. Mummy dogs come together fast with strips of crescent roll dough wrapped around hot dogs before baking. For an adult blood punch, mix inexpensive red wine with orange juice and chopped summer fruit for a red sangria base. A non-alcoholic version uses cranberry or pomegranate juice, frozen fruit punch concentrate and lemon-lime soda. Float gummy worms in the bowl for extra creep factor.
What are the best Dollar Tree finds for Summerween?
Dollar Tree carries an affordable mix of Halloween decor and party supplies that translate well to Summerween, including glass lab flasks, googly eye cups, colorful spider webbing, mini fairy garden pieces and Halloween popcorn boxes. Everything below is priced within the retailer’s standard budget-friendly range.
- Glass laboratory flasks, which you can display or fill with herbs for a witchy summer look. One reviewer wrote, “These are so cute! I bought a whole case and will use them all!”
- Halloween googly eye cups for pouring themed drinks with a nostalgic, spooky touch.
- Colorful spider webbing decor that strikes the Summerween balance, spooky enough for Halloween and bright enough for summer.
- Halloween fairy garden mini house decor to tuck into your outdoor garden for a low-effort, high-charm accent.
- Halloween popcorn snack boxes, ideal for movie night with an outdoor projector setup.
This article was created by content specialists using various tools, including AI.
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