April On Nantucket

April On Nantucket
By Vera Thornton

As I turned the calendar to ‘April’ this morning, I had much anticipation to take my pen and mark a very important date: April 25th – 27th. Yes, one of my very favorite events of all-time is taking place that weekend: The Annual Nantucket Daffodil Festival. Spring has arrived and Nantucket will soon be springing into full bloom with millions of daffodils. This magical festival is a true delight, whether it is your first visit to the Island or one of many. So get out your pen, mark the calendar, and start planning your visit.

Annual Nantucket Daffodil Festival Weekend - 2008
Sponsored by the Nantucket Chamber Of Commerce
Friday, April 25th thru Sunday, April 27th

This hugely popular event celebrates the arrival of spring, when over three million daffodils are in bloom all over the island. This floral extravaganza was the brainchild of Jean MacAusland, former editor of Gourmet magazine, who in 1974 planted masses of bulbs along Milestone Road. Several thousand more were added every year, and Jean persuaded the Nantucket Garden Club to invite the American Daffodil Association to sponsor a daffodil show on the island. Nantucket residents embraced the idea with enthusiasm and joined in the planting. And since the rabbits and deer on Nantucket don’t care for daffodils, the blooms flourished. Good thing they didn’t plant tulips!

The Daffodil Festival’s grand event, held on Saturday at 12:00 noon (rain or shine) is the Annual Antique Car Parade, featuring over 100 daffodil-bedecked antique cars. You can see that these “petal heads” put a lot of effort and imagination into the decorations – these cars are worthy of a Hollywood movie production! After winding through town and across the island to the charming village of Siasconset, participants join residents and visitors for the Annual Tailgate Picnic, from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. Held on the lush lawns leading into the village, the picnic boasts fare ranging from elaborate gourmet cuisine served on fine china to box lunches and burgers. The parade and picnic have been held every year since 1978.

This is as much an event for residents as it is for visitors. Locals are ready to come out into the fresh air again after the long, often harsh Nantucket winter, and see neighbors they haven’t run into for months. Summer residents come to open up their homes, and businesses and restaurants open their doors for the public to enjoy as part of the celebration.

Other events include a Childrens’ Parade at 10:00 a.m. and the Daffy Hat Pageant at 10:45 a.m. on April 26. The annual Nantucket Daffodil Show – Rainbows of Daffodils takes place on April 27 from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. at the Coffin School on Winter Street, and is sponsored by the American Daffodil Club and the Nantucket Garden Club. A fun weekend for the whole family!

Admission is free.

For More Information:

Contact the Nantucket Chamber Of Commerce: (508) 228-1700
or visit: www.nantucketchamber.org target="_blank"

Contact the Nantucket travel experts at Destination Insider: (508) 332-3069