Animal Crossing New Horizons: August Overview

In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, August could be seen as a winding-down month. This is because this month is when summer and winter officially ends in the north and south hemisphere. This means that seasonal items tied to these seasons will no longer be available. It also means that summer and winter clothing can no longer be bought at Able Sisters and Kicks’ stall. Not all of August is about things coming to an end though. It’s also a month of celebration and festivities, with new events to enjoy and take part in, birthdays to celebrate, and changes with bugs, fish and sea creatures. If you want to find out everything that there is to offer in Animal Crossing: New Horizons in August, read on.

Animal Crossing: New Horizons is available exclusively on Nintendo Switch.

For more on New Horizons, check out these other guides.

Events

While July was generally a quieter month, there’s lots going on in New Horizons in August. You’ve got the weekly fireworks shows happening this month, plus there are Nook Shopping items to get. Seasonal collectibles will either be coming to an end or beginning this month as well, as summer/winter ends and fall/spring begins, depending on your hemisphere.

Fireworks Show

Occurs: Every Sunday in August

Hemisphere: Both

Whether you’re enjoying the last of the summer sun in the north or enjoying the last days of snow in the south, in New Horizons August is all about the fireworks displays that occur throughout this month. The only other time you get to witness fireworks is during the New Year celebrations, so you might as well make the most of it while it lasts. You really don’t want to miss the fireworks; as fireworks always are, they’re spectacular.

Don’t miss the Fireworks Show, which takes place every Sunday in August.

Fireworks shows take place every Sunday throughout August. They start at 7pm and end at midnight. You’ll see glorious colorful fireworks lighting up the skies throughout the evening. You can also create your own custom fireworks.

As well as fireworks, Redd has a raffle stall set up outside Resident Services. Here, you can pick up many goodies to help you get into the party mood. You can get sparklers, bubble blowers, pinwheels, balloons, and more. You can also get some snacks from Redd.

Isabelle will emerge from Resident Services to join in with the fun festivities. If you speak to her, she’ll give you a head bobber. Isabelle is also the person to speak to about custom fireworks.

Note: Since Isabelle will be busy with the fireworks show, this means that she won’t be available at Resident Services all of Sunday when a fireworks show is being hosted.

There are lots of goodies to pick up to get you into the party mood.

Cowboy Festival

Occurs: July 15th – August 15th

Hemisphere: Both

This Nook Shopping event actually rolls over from last month, but it’s worth mentioning again since it continues into August. From Nook Shopping, you can pick up a Rodeo-Style Springy Ride-On. This item commemorates Festa de Paeo, a festival originating from Brazil that celebrates all things cowboys. You’ve got until mid-August to grab this item.

The Cowboy Festival continues on from July.

Cowherd and Weaver Girl Day

Occurs: August 5th – 14th

Hemisphere: Both

This is another Nook Shopping event that takes place in August. Between the dates of the 5th and the 14th, you can buy some special outfits to mark this occasion. Look out for the Hikoboshi Outfit and the Orihime Outfit. This is a Japanese holiday that is similar to Valentine’s Day, which celebrates two star-crossed lovers from East Asian folklore.

Celebrate this Japanese equivalent of Valentine’s Day with special Nook Shopping items.

Obon

Occurs: August 10th – 16th

Hemisphere: Both

Obon is a day that tributes ancestors, similar to Day of the Dead in November. In New Horizons, it acts as a Nook Shopping event. For a limited period, you can grab a Cucumber Horse and Eggplant Cow. These represent the creatures that spirits arrive on to visit the living during this holiday.

Obon is another holiday celebrated in August.

Tomato Festival

Occurs: August 20th – August 31st

Hemisphere: Both

Did you know that around this time of year, there’s a fun festival originating in Spain where people throw tomatoes at each other between 11am and midday? Sadly, in New Horizons, you cannot partake in this fun activity, since you cannot throw tomatoes at other people, but it doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate the occasion in some way. Nook Shopping gifts you a Tomato Festival Tee for a limited time in the third portion of August at the price of 1,000 Bells.

Like tomatoes? You’ll love celebrating the Tomato Festival in August.

Snowflake Season

Occurs: June 11th – August 24th

Hemisphere: South Only

In Animal Crossing: New Horizons, August is also a month when certain seasonal collectibles will no longer be available (not until next year, at least). If you’re playing in the southern hemisphere, you’ve probably been enjoying weeks of glorious crunchy crispy-white snow. This month, the snow will melt, and along with it, the snowflakes used in certain DIY recipes will disappear until the snow returns in June.

Summer Shell Season

Occurs: June 1st – August 31st

Hemisphere: North Only

In the south, the snow and its snowflakes will be gone by the end of August. In the north, it’s the summer shells that will go away at the end of the month. After August, these unique pretty blue seashells will no longer wash up on your shores. 

Grab those summer shells while you still can.

Young Spring Bamboo Season

Occurs: August 25th – November 30th

Hemisphere: South Only

While the snowflake season ends in the south in August, another season begins. Since spring has dawned, so will the young spring bamboo. These will burst out of bamboo as you chop at them for the duration of this season. You’ve got until the end of November, when spring ends in the south, so gather them while you can.

Gather young spring bamboo for special spring DIY recipes in the south, starting in August.

Bug-Off

Occurs: Fourth Saturday of August

Hemisphere: North Only

It’s that time again (if you’re in the northern hemisphere anyway) to get out your nets and catch some bugs! Flick will descend on your island on the Fourth Saturday of August, ready to set challenges, award special prizes, and buy your bugs at a higher price than Timmy and Tommy.

Summer and Winter Fashions

North Hemisphere: Summer – June 1st to August 31st

South Hemisphere: Winter – May 26th to August 24th

It’s worth noting that for this month, you may notice some changes at the Able Sisters and Kicks’ stall. The north has been enjoying the summer while the south has been experiencing winter, but this month, that comes to an end in both hemispheres. 

In the north, after August 31st, you will no longer be able to buy exclusive summer clothing. In the south, winter clothes will no longer be available to buy after August 24th. 

With summer and winter ending, the seasonal fashions will no longer be sold in the stores.

Birthdays

August is brimming with birthdays to celebrate with your fellow villagers. Check out below who is having their birthday and on what day, so you can prepare a present for them and visit their house to join in with the party. Special NPC characters are also included in this list.

Say Happy Birthday to Harvey on the 2nd of August.

Bugs, Fish, and Sea Creatures

The creatures you can find in Animal Crossing: New Horizons changes every month, and August is no exception. This month, new bugs, fish, and sea creatures will descend on your island, while some will be gone after this month. We already have a detailed bugs, fish, and sea creatures guide for August, so if you want to know everything about your island’s catchable wildlife this month, make sure to check it out. Meanwhile, here’s a brief summary of what to expect in August for both hemispheres.

Bugs

Starting with the north, only 3 new bugs can be found in August: the migratory locust, rice grasshopper, and walker cicada. You’d better brace yourself, because after August is over, a TON of bugs will be gone. These include cicadas, beetles, and stags, among other bugs, some of them which sell for a lot of Bells. If you’re looking to complete your Critterpedia and fill up the museum and you haven’t yet caught these bugs, don’t hang about, because they won’t stick about forever. Make sure to check out our bugs and fish guide so you don’t miss anything.

It’s a quieter season for bugs in the south. There’s only one new bug: the tiger beetle. On the other hand, just 3 bugs will be going away after August: the Rajah Brooke’s birdwing, the damselfly, and the dung beetle.

Brown cicadas are just one of many bugs leaving the north after August, so catch them while you can.

Fish

In the north, there’s some shift in activity for the fish. There will be 3 new fish to find this month, including the soft-shelled turtle, moray eel, and ray. On the other hand, 5 fish will be gone after August, including the Napoleonfish and squid.

For the south, like the bugs, it’s a much quieter month for fish. No new fish will be arriving at all in August, but 2 fish will be gone: the pond smelt and blowfish.

This magnificent Napoleonfish will leave the seas after August in the north.

Sea Creatures

For both hemispheres, activity in the deep sea is pretty quiet, but there are some changes. Starting in the north, only the flatworm is the new sea creature you can find, while the vampire squid and sea pineapple will disappear for a while once August is over.

In the south, meanwhile, unfortunately there are no new deep-sea creatures to find, only some that are leaving, including the Venus’ flower basket, the sweet shrimp, and sea pig.

The moon jellyfish is sticking around for a little longer after August in the north.

That rounds up everything that’s happening in Animal Crossing: New Horizons in August. What do you like best about August in New Horizons? Let us know in the comments.