Halloween in July? Summerween Lets Fans Celebrate All Summer Long

For diehard Halloween aficionados, it’s never too soon to cue the cobwebs. Enter Summerween, a faux but super fun holiday that lets your inner ghoul glow from June through August.

That’s good news for Susan White, a Farmers Branch homeowner who goes all-out decorating her house with creepy clowns, sinister skeletons, and enough devilish décor to spook the neighbors. “Here in Texas, it’s hotter than hell by noon — it’s not surprising we start acting a little unhinged. Summer’s the perfect time to add a little fright to the forecast.”

A bit of background: Inspired by the Disney Channel’s adult-friendly cartoon “Gravity Falls,”  Summerween has been around since 2012. “I was a weird kid who liked monsters and liked the supernatural and wished it could be Halloween every day of the year,” show creator Alex Hirsch shared with the Wall Street Journal.

“There’s a greater demand for what Halloween gives us than there is a supply.”

Judy Pfister, owner of Painting with a Twist on Lovers Lane, agrees. The popular franchise, known for hosting innovative social painting events, caters to its holiday-loving clientele with cheeky-themed classes like Rest in Beach and Hot Ghoul Summerween + Black Lights!

“People tell us what they want to paint. Our clients love Halloween,” she said. “Based on customer feedback, out art department developed a Summerween series. We’re going to keep hosting events all the way through October.”

Turns out, the made-up holiday has its own subculture.

Social media catchphrase “Code Orange” — slang for a Summerween merchandise drop — has gone mainstream. The largest of these superfan groups is the Home Depot’s Halloween Haunters Club — over 170,000 members strong.

Followers recently sensed trouble brewing: the home improvement store’s much-anticipated Halloween launch — the one featuring the retailer’s iconic “Skelly” — was delayed.

A possible culprit? Tariffs. As if Halloween needed another reason to be scary.

While Home Depot wouldn’t confirm the cause for Skelly’s late debut, a Mashable investigation found tariffs have sent ripples through the entire Halloween industry.

Still, the availability of Summerween merchandise is far from gloom and doom.

Just the opposite. Despite the star of the show’s MIA status, Home Depot shoppers can still find plenty of spine-tingling stand-ins, from life-size zombies and grim reapers to a convulsing nurse, gravely granny, and other creepy characters.

Lowe’s is also on the Summerween bandwagon — literally. This year’s highlights include a collection of frightfully-talented animatronic musicians and a sure-to-sell-out collection inspired by Disney’s The Haunted Mansion.

If larger-than-life isn’t your thing, no worries. Check out retailers like Target, Marshalls, Michaels, and T.J. Maxx for decorative, budget-friendly pieces. Carve a watermelon or pineapple like you would a pumpkin. Set a Summerween-inspired table — think linens, serving pieces, glassware, and candles.

“Life’s already weird. We might as well throw a party for it,” said White “If we’ve learned anything from Christmas in July, holidays don’t just happen — we get to invent them whenever we need a reason to celebrate.”