Your Ultimate Guide To Summerween!

I scream, you scream, we all scream for… Halloween? 

Look, we know it's August, and if we're not careful, the Season Police will come knocking. So let us start by saying: yes, now is a great time for popsicles, dips in the pool, and picnics in the park. But for the witches and wizards and ghouls and goblins among us, it's hard not to start daydreaming about the Fall season. If you're itching for autumn but still soaking up the Summer sun, I've got just the thing to hold you over. Let us introduce to you… Summerween!

Coined by Disney Channel's "Gravity Falls", Summerween is that magical in-between time where you can trade iced coffee for a pumpkin spice latte without judgment. A time to lean into slasher Summer camp vibes straight out of Friday the 13th (minus the actual slasher, please). And that's where we come in as your host. Or rather, your ghost host, for all things Summerween.

Bake If You Dare

If you haven't noticed, we like to pair delicious desserts with our favorite holidays. So if we're giving Summerween the respect she deserves, it's time to stock up on flour and preheat those ovens. Feel free to get creative, as there is no right or wrong way to do this. But if you're looking for a little help from someone who loves Halloween more than anything, spends a lot of time in the kitchen, and is deeply invested in making your Summerween dreams come true… well, you could do a lot worse than me. Not much of a baker? No worries. Just grab some ice cream sandwiches from the store, cut them into coffin shapes, and voilà! You've got a dessert worthy of the afterlife.

Looking for more of a challenge? Try your hand at homemade ghost cookies. You can start with pre-made cookie dough or make your favorite recipe from scratch. Once they're baked, top each one with white icing as a base, then add a marshmallow on top, and then paint a ghoulish face onto using icing. If you need a visual, here is TikTok creator Steph giving them a try: 

Spooky Summer Watches 

We're friends, right? Well, friends share their hot takes. So, I'll just come out and say it: I think Halloween movies are better than Christmas movies. There, I said it.

Don't get me wrong, I adore Christmas and all its festive flicks, but I just have a thing for those haunted hits. Sure, not all of them hit as hard in August, but some feel like they were made for Summerween. Take Friday the 13th, for example. It's literally set at a Summer camp, complete with a beautiful lake, camp counselors, and plenty of lush greenery. If vengeful moms on murder sprees aren't your thing, then how about Jaws? It's got that classic coastal vibe and takes place around the 4th of July. Or go for The Lost Boys, an almost-perfect ’80s vampire flick that’ll make you feel like you’re strolling down the Santa Monica Pier (or ready to invest in a leather jacket). Still not convinced? Well, then there's I Know What You Did Last Summer -- either version. The title says it all.

No Pumpkins? No Problem.

Humans are adorable, aren't we? We love carving cute or spooky faces into pumpkins, but we have to be patient, since most pumpkins are still taking their naps in the dirt. But you know who's ready for a makeover? The jolly green giant of the melon family: watermelon! Just don't forget to eat some of those delicious "guts" so nothing goes to waste. 

Books That Bite Back

To our bookworms, this one's for you. Thanks to the brilliant writers of this world, we have an endless selection of stories that have the ability to transport us to chilling new worlds: haunted hotels, endless cornfields, remote islands, and so much more. While Stephen King's Misery is a personal favorite of mine, it doesn't quite feel as Summery as some of his other novels, like It or Salem's Lot. For something a bit more off the beaten path, check out Clown in a Cornfield by Adam Cesare, which was recently adapted into a movie, or My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones.

Well, it's been a blast monster-mashing with you all! I hope this was a helpful guide – a skeletal bone you can gnaw on until Fall creeps in. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some costume shopping to do. You can never start too early, and I am determined to win the costume contest this year!