After a fairly content-heavy month on the Animal Crossing New Horizons Island, we’re looking ahead to the month of July, and breaking down all of the changes and updates players can expect to see. 

Animal Crossing New Horizons July Updates 2023

We've been doing this since the launch of Animal Crossing New Horizons, and everyone seems to enjoy it, so naturally we’re back to highlight which limited items become available, adjustments to the Weather patterns and phenomena, and many other Seasonal changes that occur next month. Again, this will be a nostalgic guide many and invaluable information for the thousands of ACNH new players out there that join the community every single week. 

ACNH July Seasonal Events & Items 2023

Now despite July being much quieter than June in terms of activities and content, July still experiences several Seasonal Events, all items will of course be available from the Nook Stop during this time, including:

• Tanabata (July 1-7)

Tanabata runs from July 1st through to July 7th, adding the Bamboo Grass item. It's a really nice interactive item where if you click on it you can see different wishes that people have made, it has some cool dialogue that you won't see anywhere else in the game so this is definitely an item that we recommend getting it's a sort of item that can look great indoors or outdoors.

• Cowboy Festival  (July 15 - August 15)

Cowboy Festival from July 15th through to August 15th, which of course adds the Rodeo-Style Springy Ride-on. This Event has been moved forward from August in earlier versions of New Horizons. 

• Marine Day (July 3-17)

Marine Day which is celebrated from July 3rd through to July 17th this year, and brings the Ship-Wheel Door Decoration to ACNH. This Event has also been brought forward in 2023 to the first half of July.

• Le 14 Juillet (July 10-20)

And finally, Le Quatorze Juillet from July 10th through to July 20th, which adds several variations of the Phrygian Cap is available to purchase.

• Bug-Off (July 22, Northern Hemisphere)

Summer is of course the season of the Tourneys in Animal Crossing, and ACNH is no different. In just a couple of days' time, the 1st Bug-Off will take place at the end of June,  with the second occurring towards the end of July, exclusive to the Northern Hemisphere. In both instances, Flick will of course arrive at the Plaza to host the Bug-Off and challenge us to catch as many bugs as possible within a time limit. Prizes are up for grabs, including the Artisanal Bug Cage, the Termite Mound, and the Ladybug Umbrella amongst many others. The more bugs you catch, the more prizes you can earn and everyone is in with the chance of winning 1 of 3 Trophies for taking part. If nothing else, this is a great opportunity to make bells as Flick will buy all bugs caught during the Event for 50% higher than Nooks.

• Fishing Tourney (July 8)

Continuing with the Tourney,  July sees the 3rd Fishing Tourney of the Year,  this time in both Hemispheres. As you’d expect C.J. will stop by the plaza and challenge players to catch as many fish as possible. During this Event items including the Anchor Statue,  the Fish Print, and the Fresh Cooler are available amongst many others. 1 of 3 Trophies is of course available too for taking part, so even if you’ve taken part in the past, it’s a great opportunity to unlock a different type of trophy. Again, the Fishing Tourney is another great way to farm Bells,  because CJ buys all fish caught during the Event for 50% more than Nooks.

• Stationary

Now something we often forget to cover is the changes to the Stationary available at the Post Card stand at Dodo Airlines. At the end of June, the Father's Day card will be removed and no longer available. It’s literally only available during the month of June,  so if you want to make use of it, do it in the next few days. The good news is, July is still part of the Summer Season in the Northern Hemisphere, so the Hibiscus Card, the adorable Fluffy Card, and the Beach Cards will continue to be available until the end of the Season.

ACNH July DIY Recipes & Items 2023

As the northern hemisphere enters high summer and the southern hemisphere transitions into colder winter, we're about to get DIY recipes for two seasons that go hand in hand.

• Summer Shell DIY Recipes & Ocean Underwater Items (Northern Hemisphere)

On the Northern Hemisphere shores in midsummer, you can pick up summer shells in June, July, and August to craft Mermaid-themed items, they are only used to make the necessary decorations for fairycore islands.

• Snowflakes DIY Recipes & Frozen Ice Items (Southern Hemisphere)

During the Southern Hemisphere season, you'll have access to ice-themed do-it-yourself (DIY) recipes that can be obtained through Snowboy and other regular means. Snowflakes will be the main ingredient required for these recipes, and you'll have the opportunity to collect them during this season.

ACNH July Bugs, Fish, Sea Creatures

Moving on, our monthly changes videos wouldn’t be complete without reminding you new months often see a shift in the Bugs, Fish, and Deep Sea Creatures that can be encountered.

Unfortunately, those of you in the Southern Hemisphere won’t see any new Critters,  given it’s the height of Winter, however, players in the Northern Hemisphere can expect to see 29 new Critters arrive on the New Horizons Island. These include the Giraffe Stag, the Blue Marlin, and the Giant Isopod amongst others. Naturally, this is a great time to double-check which Critters you need to donate to the Museum if you haven’t completed it yet.

ACNH July Weather

Whilst on the topic of Seasonal Changes, the Weather sees even more changes as we enter July. Not only will we see less rain,  but the Clouds that spawn around the Animal Crossing New Horizons Island shift patterns.

• Rainy Season 

Now as you may have guessed June is considered the Rainy Season for many of us in the Northern Hemisphere because the last couple of weeks in June sees the highest rates of Rain and Heavy Rainfall you will experience on ACNH Island. This Weather phenomenon increases the chances of intense Thunderstorms, and the odds of catching Coelcanths and is great for spawning Hybrids and Gyroids. However, as we enter the month of July, the Rainy Season comes to a close,  and from July 6th the odds of Rain and Heavy Rain fall from 38% down to 11%. The good news is, this clears the skies for Meteor Showers throughout the rest of the Summer Season, with my Island seeing 8 Meteor Showers in July. 

• Clouds

Whilst no specific type of cloud can be encountered at the start of Summer,  Cumulonimbus Clouds begin spawning in July on clear and partially cloudy hours. You’ll most likely to see these clouds on days before you’re expected to have bad weather. So if you do see them, it’s probably going to be rainy and windy the next day.

Anyway, in the Southern Hemisphere Billow Clouds continue to spawn throughout July and August. But the most important change is that less Snow falls in the Southern Hemisphere, increasing the chances of encountering Auroras.

ACNH July Island Aesthetics

Moving on another change we always like to include in these monthly videos is of course to the Bushes that flower throughout the Season. In the Northern Hemisphere Pink and White Plumeria Bushes continue to bloom throughout July,  however, Blue and Pink Hydrangea Bushes will stop flowering on July 20th, with Red and Yellow Hibiscus blooming in their place from July 21st through to September, which is pretty cool. July is one of the few months if not the only month that sees 3 different types of  Bushes flower on the Animal Crossing New Horizons Island.

Anyway, Players in the Southern Hemisphere, won’t see too much change as Red and Pink Camellia Bushes have already replaced Holly Bushes in June, and continue to Bloom until September.