17 Summerween Party Ideas for Your Spooky Bash

Throwing a Summerween party is a delightful way to blend the spooky charm of Halloween with the sunny, carefree mood of Summer. Inspired by the animated show Gravity Falls, Summerween officially falls on June 22, but can be enjoyed anytime during the summer.

From haunted pool parties and eerie backyard eats, there’s no limit to how you can mix and match seasonal elements to create a memorable event. Consider carving jack-o’-melons instead of pumpkins, setting up spooky scavenger hunts under the summer sun, or hosting a monster mash dance-off in your backyard.

The key to a successful Summerween party lies in embracing the unexpected and crafting a celebration that’s as festive as it is frightful. Here are some activities and party ideas for your event.

Summerween Party Ideas and Activities

1. Costume Contest

Encourage guests to come in their best summery Halloween costumes and hold a contest with prizes for categories like scariest, funniest, and most creative. Bonus points for anyone who dresses up as Gravity Falls’ Summerween Trickster. Especially if you host this in July.

2. Jack-o’-Melon Carving

Instead of pumpkins, carve watermelons into spooky faces and set them up around the party space. They’re so much less messy than pumpkins, and you can also eat most of their insides! Win-win! Well, not for the watermelons, I guess.

Here’s a handy carving tool set that makes it easy. (Or, just freehand it with a knife if you’re feeling artistic).

3. Frightful Pool Party

Got a pool? Decorate it with floating candles, glow sticks, and spooky decorations like banners, and inflatable coffins and eyeballs.

Get the coffin one here.

4. Spooky Ice Cream Bar

I scream, you scream, the ice cream screams. Or something like that. Set up an ice cream bar with a variety of flavors and toppings, including Halloween-themed options like gummy worms, candy eyeballs, and red syrup.

You can also consider making this spooky black sesame Game of Thrones inspired ice cream complete with candy bones.

5. Zombie Relay Race

Organize a relay race where participants have to complete the race while acting like zombies, adding a fun and spooky twist to a traditional activity. The fast moving one clearly has competitive spirit. Or is just hungry for brains.

6. Science Experiments

Set up a station with mad scientist experiments like making slime or creating spider robots or disappearing pumpkins. Here’s more than a dozen ideas to get you started.

7. Haunted BBQ

Grill summer favorites but give them a Halloween twist, like “monster burgers” with olive eyes and coffin-shaped ice cream sandwiches. Best served with spooky punch or other Summerween drinks.

8. Ghost Stories by the Fire

Set up a fire pit or make a bonfire and tell spooky stories as the sun sets. If you really want to go all-in on the scary factor, fill your fire pit with these skull charcoal briquettes.

9. Scary Movie Marathon

Set up an outdoor screen and play summer Halloween movies like Cabin in the Woods and Us. Make sure to also include the “Summerween” episode of Gravity Falls.

10. Halloween Beach Volleyball

If you’re near a beach or have a large backyard, organize a volleyball game and ask everyone to come in costume.

11. Spooky Scavenger Hunt

Create a scavenger hunt with Halloween and summer-themed clues.

12. Creepy Crafts Station

Set up a table for making Halloween-themed crafts, such as decorating masks or making garlands in shapes of ghosts.

13. Haunted House/Tent

Convert a tent or a room into a mini haunted house with spooky decorations and sound effects.

14. Monster Mash

Play Halloween-themed music and create a dance party for your guests.

15. Spider Web Maze

Have spare string or yarn? Create an obstacle course with them to that looks like a giant spider web for guests to navigate their way through.

16. Halloween-Themed Photo Booth

Set up a photo booth with props and backdrops that combine summer and Halloween themes.

17. Monster S’mores Bar

Set up a s’mores station with different types of chocolate, marshmallows, and graham crackers, and add “gross” toppings like gummy worms.