There’s No Need to Wait for October: Summerween Is Here

It seems that the holidays keep arriving earlier and earlier; like an undead monster, some of us know they never really die. Not even Christmas—if the jolly-in-July folks have anything to say about it. However, Summerween has been kicking around since early June and will fully absorb the dead of summer with attractions like Midsummer Scream and Universal Horror Unleashed.

Already, retailers like Michaels have unleashed their Halloween collections so you can get interior decorating done before letting your festive freak flag fly. The arts and crafts chain’s new sweet and spooky line is filled with pink aesthetics: a “You Goth This” emblazoned mug, a pink pony club cowgirl ghostie, acrimonious affirmations, and some dead serious puns. It’s giving Mean Girls meets Monster High Halloween energy in the best way.

And there’s more for gorgeous ghouls, as Bath & Body Works has released its Halloween scarecare routine with a new summer-inspired scent. Joining the ranks of its extensive Halloween line that features fan-favorite fragrances like “Vampire Blood” and “Wicked Vanilla Woods” is “I Scream Float,” which evokes a Coke ice cream float at a horror movie drive-in. All Bath & Body Works is missing (amid all the shower gels, body lotions, hand lotions, hand sanitizers, candles, and colognes) is sunscreen. So DIY your SPF while the scents of your personal potions waft the warning that spooky season is staking its claim.

The new drop also features decor: a cauldron soap dispenser, haunted projector scent diffusers, and adorable accessories. There are lots of bats, ghosts, and cats to pick from if you manage to secure the bag because so much of it is already selling out—which tells on all of us who are about that horror life all year that we might be the problem. But do any of us want to be caught dead in the shops in October and already be surrounded by Christmas? I don’t think so.

Really, with the state of, well…everything, is it really that bad to cope with the world’s tricks by treating ourselves? Spirit Halloween locations are beginning to sweep into town as you’re reading this; it’s too late to turn back now. We’re already summoning ways to get to Midsummer Scream, a summer Halloween convention that celebrates seasonal haunts, horror films, and other frightful delights. The event runs August 15-17 in Long Beach, CA; in attendance will be creatives from Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights as well as horror genre stars such as John Carpenter, Terrifier‘s David Howard Thorton, and Cassandra “Elvira” Peterson.

In Las Vegas, Universal Studios is prepping to open a new horror destination at AREA15. Universal Horror Unleashed will soon be a horror hub you can pop into in Sin City with rotating horror franchise haunted houses and experiences—open year-round, though its mid-August debut is perfectly situated during Summerween.

So far the attraction has announced houses based on The Exorcist, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and the Universal Monsters. The latter is what we’re most excited for, as it will feature all the characters in the monster line-up, including the oft-elusive Creature from the Black Lagoon. Plus, there will be thrilling sideshow acts and terror-themed foodie delights. You can plan your visit to Universal Horror Unleashed starting August 14, with a Chicago location also in the works.

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