Nantucket’s Yearly Events
“The last weekend of April, the Nantucket Island Chamber of Commerce holds their annual Daffodil Festival – a weekend of events to celebrate springtime awakening on Nantucket Island. The first occasion, a very simple affair in the 1970s, included an antique car parade in which islanders showed off their classic cars, followed by a community tailgate picnic in ‘Sconset.”
Serious fun, camaraderie, and sailing – that’s what Figawi Race Weekend is all about. To give a proper start to the summer, more than 200 boats & over a thousand sailors will convene for the Northeast’s first major regatta.
“The Nantucket Film Festival was founded by brother and sister team Jill and Jonathan Burkhart in 1996. The Burkhart’s lived on the island year round, and with their love of movies and the community, they knew it was the perfect place to begin a film festival. These days, NFF has become one of the premiere destination film festivals in the world.”
The Nantucket Yoga Festival brings together the very best world class yoga instructors, wellness experts and healthy living guides for one inspiring weekend!
Jamie Ranney is a long-time year-round resident of Nantucket and local businessman. Jamie's dream of turning the Nantucket Triathlon into a sought-after destination race has come to life, with the event gaining popularity each year. Over the years, this event has transformed into a premier sprint triathlon, cherished by athletes of all backgrounds - from first-timers to elite competitors. It has become an annual highlight, not just for participants but also for the community of Nantucket. Photo courtesy of Nantucket Triathlon’s website.
Nantucket Race Week
Nantucket Race Week is nine days of regattas, awards ceremonies, and parties hosted by Nantucket Yacht Club and Great Harbor Yacht Club to benefit Nantucket Community Sailing. Nantucket Race Week is a Clean Regatta as certified by Sailors for the Sea. The Opera House Cup Regatta was the first all-wooden, single-hulled classic boat regatta on the East Coast, and attracts some of the finest sailboats in the country.
Scalloping Season
The recreational scalloping season opens every year on October 1st, and continues a longstanding, community unifying tradition of collecting these natural delicacies. Nantucket’s protected harbor creates the perfect environment for shellfish propagation, and is an idyllic scene for families and friends to wade, shuffle and scoop their way to bushels of sweet bay scallops. Speak with our concierge for detailed information on licenses, gear and equipment.
“An Island tradition since 1996, The Nantucket Wine Festival is known as one of the nation’s most celebrated wine and food events. Whether participating as a luminary, sponsor, volunteer, or attendee, people from across the globe flock to the island of Nantucket every spring to be part of this exquisite annual event. The festival engages the island community and embraces the unique island style.”
Highlighting Nantucket’s literary community, the Nantucket Book Festival is a great opportunity not only to meet with favorite authors, but also to discover new ones. The NBF celebrates the transformative power of words to inspire, illuminate, educate, and to connect to each other through shared humanity. “We are building a community of readers and writers on and beyond Nantucket.”
4th of July Weekend
No destination feels more patriotic than Main Street, Nantucket on the 4th of July. Don your red, white & blue and join us for the annual water fight, pie and watermelon eating contests during the day, and unbeatable fireworks presentation at night.
“The Nantucket Comedy Festival, under the direction of comedian Kevin Flynn, was developed to bring top comedic performances to Nantucket in support of the local youth community.”
The gorgeous sunset, a celebrity host, and America’s Orchestra: the Boston Pops are what make this August Nantucket tradition one of the best. All proceeds from the event go to the Nantucket Cottage Hospital. Today, the Boston Pops on Nantucket is the single largest, most complex and most popular event of the Nantucket summer season, but this longstanding event comes from humble origins.
A select group of eminent and accomplished visionaries, thinkers, innovators and performers gather at one of the most storied places in the United States. Photo courtesy of the Nantucket Project on Fisher Real Estate.
Originating in 1973 as an effort to boost the island’s holiday purse, local merchants kept shops open late the first Friday in December, inviting locals to holiday shop on-island. That initial Stroll, christened by merchants as a “Christmas Shoppers Stroll” a mere three hours in duration, was proclaimed a huge success. Shoppers were entertained with wine, hot chocolate, tea, mulled cider, fruitcake, and holiday cookies while they perused crafts, books, clothes and wares, and other holiday gift items. In subsequent years, the event grew exponentially, drawing larger crowds until it became a nationally- and, ultimately, internationally-renowned holiday event.
