Summerween: The Best New Holiday

Summer has become the prime cosplay season from some of the biggest cons in California to each individual states’ small cons. Why should the fun stop there? As an avid cosplayer myself, I will use any excuse to dress up; be it for a con, movie premiere, or my personal favourite, Halloween. I’m even one of those crazy people who keeps their decorations up year long, you know, to keep the spirit “alive”. Unfortunately I also live on the east coast of America where cons are scarce and Halloween is bitterly cold. I was inspired last summer after watching an episode of Disney’s Gravity Falls, entitled “Summerween.” It is just as you imagine, Halloween in the summer. This includes anything from carving watermelons into Jack O’Melons, serving a witchy summer brew, and of course all the dressing up you can imagine. If your are having that summertime itch of boredom, I would suggest you gather all of your nerdiest friends, skip Christmas in July, and go straight for Summerween.

I have done this for two years now, both with great success. If you are hosting the party it is both cheap and efficient to dress up your summery home into a creepy nightmare. A quick trip to your local dollar store can provide you with black streamers, red paint, cobwebs (or fiberfill), decorative candles, and the most important part: CANDY!! Both years we have provided a simple table cover in the kitchen decorated with candy, extra watermelon from the carvings (might I also suggest spiking it), and a big black pot with punch. Cheap acrylic red paint goes very nicely on mirrors and beer pong tables. A lot of my friends are very outgoing, so there was no need to convince them to cosplay, but even the more reserved and shy ones dressed right up. Giving people something to look forward to and participate in whatever level they feel most comfortable with can really make the most out of an ordinary summer weekend.