Summerween: 9 Party Ideas for Halloween in Summer

Key Takeaways

• Summerween is spooky season in swimwear. No rules, just campy costumes and sunshine scares.
• Your backyard is the perfect party zone. Movie nights, games, and wacky decor = done.
• FUNBOY gear makes it extra. Think giant screens, Lawn Snakes, and sleepover setups.

Who says spooky season has to wait for fall? Summerween is here, and it’s hotter, weirder, and way more fun than anything happening in October. It’s the unofficial holiday for people who want skeletons and sunscreen, trick-or-treating and tan lines.

Whether you’re throwing a haunted pool party, screening scary movies under the stars, or just decorating your lawn with neon snakes for the drama of it all, your pals here at FUNBOY have the ideas to help you slay (and scare) in style.

Ready to summon the spirit of summer + Halloween?

1. Summerween Movie Night

There’s no better way to scream into summer than with an outdoor horror movie marathon. Set the scene with our Giant Inflatable Projector Screen. It inflates in minutes and turns your backyard into a haunted cinema faster than you can say “double feature.”

Convert Kiddie Pools into personal lounge pods with blankets and pillows, or go luxe with our super snazzy Loungers. Serve popcorn in Halloween buckets, hand out glow sticks as “flashlights,” and make it eerie-cute with string lights and fake cobwebs.

Need movie recs? Go for scary-but-not-scarring faves like Hocus Pocus, Scary Movie, The Lost Boys, Coraline, or Beetlejuice. Summerween is about vibes, not trauma.

2. Snake Pit Lawn Party

Your lawn is now cursed, in the cutest possible way. Scatter our limited-edition summer-colored Lawn Snakes all over the grass to create a neon “snake pit” guests have to walk through to reach the snacks, the drinks, or the bathroom (evil).

Pair it with a DIY sign that says “Enter If You Dare” and a few fake bones or skeleton armspeeking out of the flower beds. It’s weird, it’s wonderful, it’s giving low-effort, high-reward décor. And yes, you’ll get compliments.

Bonus idea: hide tiny prizes under a few snakes and let guests hunt them down. Slithery scavenger hunt, anyone?

3. Costume Contest Meets Pool Party

No one said you had to pick between spooky and splashy. Pick a Summerween costume theme — think Haunted Luau, Undead Lifeguards, Poolside Vampires, or Ghosts of Spring Break Past — and make it pool party–approved. Think mesh, glitter, and absolutely unnecessary capes.

Float your guests on FUNBOY inflatables and set up a judging panel to award titles like:

• Most Ridiculous
• Least Practical for Swimming
• Best Use of SPF
• “We Have No Idea What You Are, But We’re Obsessed”

Winners get float-thrones and a round of creepy cocktails (or juice boxes). Everybody else? Eternal glory and chlorine-scented shame.

4. Glow-in-the-Dark Drink Lab

When the sun goes down, the glow-up begins. Set up a DIY drink station with neon cups, blacklight-reactive mixers (tonic water works!), and glow sticks tossed in the ice buckets for extra flair. 

Label everything with ghoul-approved drink names like:

• “Ghost-tini” (vodka + tonic + edible glitter)
• “Witch’s Spritz” (Aperol + soda + a black sugar rim)
• “Bloody Margarita” (classic marg + a splash of pomegranate for drama)

Mocktails? Always welcome. Bonus points if you offer mystery ingredients hidden under cauldrons or foil — perfect for chaotic custom drinks and guest dares.

5. Haunted Tanning Lounge

Terror, but make it tan. Transform your float zone into a “Haunted Tanning Lounge” with our Retro Convertible, Tanning Pool Lounger, and Pink Glitter Chaise as your undead VIP seating.

Dress up the area with skeletons in bikinis, boo-tiful garlands, and a DIY sign that says “Resting Beach Face” or “Beware of Burnout.” Toss some faux cobwebs across the floats and set out a tray of fake sunscreen bottles labeled with cursed SPF levels (“SPF 666” hits different).

It’s spooky. It’s loungy. It’s giving hot-ghoul summer.

6. Trick-or-Treat: Pool Float Edition

Forget knocking on doors — treats come to you now. Float little buckets or mini pumpkins across the pool using our Floating Cabana Bar. Fill it with candy, silly little toys, fake spiders, glow bracelets, or even cheeky “tricks” like confetti bombs or sassy fortunes.

Let guests paddle over, reach in, and see what they get — trick or treat, pool party style. It’s interactive, it’s unexpected, and it gives big “adult Halloween, but make it floaty” energy.

7. Backyard Graveyard Games

Bring out the chaos with Halloween-flavored lawn games. Set up cornhole with skull beanbags, play glow-in-the-dark ring toss using plastic bones, or go full absurd with a zombie dance-off (just cue a strobe light and tell people to move like their limbs are detachable).

Throw in:

• A “tombstone toss” made from cardboard headstones
• Giant inflatable dice labeled with dares
• A “mummy wrap” race using toilet paper

No one wins. Everyone screams. Worth it.

8. Spooky Sleepover Under the Stars

Forget bedtime — this is Summerween. Set up tents or roll out our Kids Sleepover Beds for a backyard slumber party that’s equal parts cozy and cursed.

Queue up ghost stories, make s’mores, and play a horror podcast or two to get the energy just-scary-enough (but not enough to cancel sleep). Bonus points for creepy bedtime snacks and glow stars overhead.

Everyone wakes up barefoot, confused, and covered in crumbs. 10/10.

9. “Dead Hot” Dress Code + Costume Parade

Call the theme: Dead Hot. Think rave meets grave. Encourage looks that scream spooky but make it fashion — mesh, rhinestones, glitter blood, neon fangs, metallic swimsuits, corpse-chic accessories, etc.

Set up a mini catwalk (aka a towel-lined patio), crank the music, and host a late-night costume parade complete with dramatic walk-ups and shameless posing. Give out random awards like:

• “Best Undead Energy”
• “Most Committed to Glitter”
• “Least Likely To Survive a Horror Movie (But Best Dressed)”

It’s not about winning. It’s about the slay.

How Do You Pull Off the Perfect Summerween Bash?

You've got the party ideas down — haunted lounge? Check. Glow bar? Obviously. But even the most iconic Summerween events need a little structure (just a little). 

Keep these tips in mind to make sure your spooky summer vibes don’t melt into a hot mess:

Consider the Chaos Level (AKA: Are There Kids Here?)

Not every Summerween rager needs to be rated R. If there are kids (or chaos gremlins) in the mix, adjust the spook factor accordingly. Skip the horror flicks in favor of Casper or Hotel Transylvania, and maybe replace that bloody punch with something orange and fizzy. 

Create a kid zone with non-toxic glow gear, silly games, and designated floats, preferably ones shaped like pumpkins, not potions. Want to keep them super busy? Set up a decorate-your-own treat station. Bonus: it doubles as a snack and a distraction.

Keep It Temperature-Aware

That Dracula cape might look iconic, but it’s also 82° and humid, and your friends will drop faster than a vampire in daylight if they’re overheating. Encourage costumes that are breathable, pool-friendly, or easy to peel off in layers. Think mesh, metallics, and SPF-friendly glam over full-body fur suits. 

Set up a “cool-down station” with handheld fans, face mists, and chilled towels (aka paper towels you dunked in ice water — no one’s judging). Frozen grapes? Even better. Help your ghouls stay hot without heatstroke.

Plan for the Morning-After

Summerween is all fun and games until you wake up surrounded by glow sticks, candy wrappers, and a skeleton wearing your swimsuit. Prep a cleanup kit before things get wild: trash bags, recycling bins, paper towels, and a speaker that automatically plays chill music to soothe your soul. 

Stock a few “morning-after MVPs” like water bottles, electrolyte packets, bagels, and maybe some under-eye patches if you’re fancy. Extra credit if you send your guests home with mini goody bags that include gum, ibuprofen, and a photo strip of their best (or worst) costume moment.

FAQs

Why is it called “Summerween”?

“Summerween” is a made-up holiday — and that’s the whole point. It’s Halloween in summer. Think of it as the unofficial celebration of all things haunt-y without the sweaters. The term started floating around online thanks to fans of shows like Gravity Falls, and now it’s basically an excuse to wear vampire fangs with flip-flops. No rules, just vibes.

Is there an official Summerween date?

Not exactly, but that’s part of the charm. Some people go with the halfway point to Halloween (around late April), others pick any summer weekend that needs a little eerie sparkle. At FUNBOY, we fully endorse doing it whenever the mood strikes. Just pick a date, grab your floats, and let the skeletons sunbathe.

What’s the difference between Summerween and a regular Halloween party?

Summerween is low-stakes, high-fun. No pressure to be terrifying or commit to six hours of makeup. It’s more about mixing creepy and campy — float-friendly costumes, monster-chic decor, glow-in-the-dark drinks. Think: Halloween energy, but with popsicles and pool float parades instead of haunted houses and hayrides.

Let the Ghoul Times Roll

Summerween is a beautiful, ridiculous collision of float season and fright night. Whether you’re diving into a glow-in-the-dark drink lab, transforming your backyard into a haunted lounge, or hosting the most chaotic costume contest this side of October, remember: there are no rules, only vibes.

So light the tiki torches, dust off the fake cobwebs, and let your skeletons tan a little. With FUNBOY in the mix, Summerween is officially your new favorite made-up holiday.

Sources:

The Medieval History Behind Our Halloween Fascination With Skeletons | TIME

Halloween in July? Welcome to ‘Summerween.’ | The New York Times

What Does Camp Mean in Fashion? | Domestika

Electrolytes: Types, Purpose & Normal Levels | Cleveland Clinic