It's become a family tradition to visit Nantucket during the last weekend in April for "Daffy" - the island's annual Daffodil Festival - and this year the experience was especially sweet experiencing Daffy as a family of three for the first time! After a New England winter these cheery yellow flowers are one of my favorite harbingers of spring and during the last few weeks of April Nantucket has thousands of daffodils blooming around the island in addition to the most beautiful floral window boxes you've ever seen gracing the shops and restaurants around town. This lighthearted weekend is one of my favorite times to visit Nantucket and is great for family trips, couple trips, or a girl's getaway!
TO STAY
We have stayed many places around the island over the years, but returned to Greydon House for our Daffy trip with a baby. I love it's chic interiors designed by Roman and Williams, and the central location right in town is perfect for popping in and out of our room for nursing or nap times. We have a newfound fondness for booking dinners at our hotel's restaurant, so if our baby boy isn't in the mood for dining out we can just take our meal upstairs. Thankfully, Greydon House is home to Via Mare, a delicious spot serving Venetian small plates that's owned by the same folks behind Ventuno. We made a 8:15pm reservation and after pacing up and down the hotel hallway few times, I had a sleeping baby in my arms and we could enjoy dinner in the beautiful restaurant space. (I highly recommend the garden lettuce salad, gnocchi, and pollo!) One thing worth noting is the hotel doesn't have any public spaces to lounge, however if you arrive before your check-in time, or have a few hours between check out and catching your ferry you can likely hide away in Via Mare or the adjacent porch space if the restaurant isn't serving food.
TO DO
There are many daffodil themed events throughout the weekend but our favorites include the Antique Car Show on Main Street where over a hundred vehicles are festooned in floral arrangements. The cars line up for visitors to view from about 9:30am-noon, then at noon they parade around town before heading out to 'Sconset for the community tailgate party. In 'Sconset, picnickers line the main road into the village, many of which have opulent spreads and decorations. It's a very boozy event (as most tailgates are) and we've enjoyed going the last two years, but this time opted to see the Nantucket Garden Club's 48th Annual Daffodil Competition at Bartletts Farm instead. As you can see in the photos, hundreds of daffodils are entered in the competition and are beautifully displayed in the farm's greenhouses. I can't believe this was our first time attending this event - I absolutely loved it! Additionally there is a pet and kid outfit competition on Children's Beach, which we haven't done yet but look forward to experiencing when Cam is a little older.
Aside from official events, Daffy marks the reopening of most shops and restaurants for the summer season. I love popping by favorite stores such as Alice Walk (the best sweaters!), J.McLaughlin (resort attire perfection), Bon Ton and Nantucket Antiques Depot (for antiques), Peachtree Nantucket (children's clothing) as well as Murray's Toggery (men's and womens clothing) including the famed "Nantucket red" collection.
TO EAT
We didn't try out as many restaurants on this trip as we normally would since we were navigating a baby's sleep schedule at night but had casual coffees and meals from Handlebar, Lemon Press, and Corner Bakery, and enjoyed dinner at Via Mare in our hotel! You can find other restaurant favorites from past trips here!
TO WEAR
The weather in April is a bit touch and go, but one thing is for certain: you'll want to wear your best yellow attire for Daffy festivities! While I opted to wear a yellow shirt and sweater, some people go all out wearing anything from daffodil patterned pants to flower crowns. Wearing yellow is especially encouraged during the main events on Saturday, but you'll see people embracing the happy hue throughout the weekend. This year we had especially nice weather, but most of the time you'll want to pack a couple sweaters and coat to make sure you stay warm and dry!
TRAVEL NOTES
Since this was our first time visiting the island with a baby here are a few thoughts. The HiLine ferry was easier than I expected due to young families being allowed to pre-board. There's a separate line in both Hyannis and on Nantucket for pre-boarding which allows you to walk on with your stroller and snag one of the limited spots on the ferry where a stroller will fit! Definitely key to get there early as the main deck fills first and you don't want to have to climb the stairs to the second level with your baby and gear. Once on the island, Nantucket town has cobblestone streets and many of the sidewalks are uneven or end abruptly. There were certainly families with strollers, but we found it easier to use the baby carrier in town. We did use the stroller when we went out to Bartlett Farm for the flower show and would definitely recommend a stroller if you head to the 'Sconset tailgate picnic. There is a bus that goes to the 'Sconset tailgate and Barlett's which we've taken in prior years, however the line to board was a bit long and timeline was unpredictable so we decided to uber for more control over our trip timing!
One of the most fun aspects of the weekend was running into friends and readers around the island. Thank you to everyone who said hi and introduced yourselves - it truly made my day! xx
Outfit Details:
J.Crew Jeans (on major sale, but size down)
Monica Rich Kosann Viv Locket c/o
Haverhill bracelet c/o (all 15% off with “Stacie15”)
Stubbs and Wootton Loafers c/o
I would not normally recommend wearing heels on Nantucket UNLESS you are having dinner in your hotel. The cobblestone streets are death to stilettos, so I generally go for a small block heel or wedge espadrille if I want a little lift while wandering around town. Aside from that consideration I love the equestrian flair of these stappy heels!
Haverhill garnet necklace, earrings, and bracelet c/o (all 15% off with “Stacie15”)
Schutz Heels (only $138!)
Haverhill garnet necklace, earrings, and bracelet c/o (all 15% off with “Stacie15”)
J.Crew Jeans (on major sale, but size down)
Stubbs and Wootton Loafers c/o
J.Crew Jeans (on major sale, but size down)
Haverhill garnet necklace, earrings, and bracelet c/o (all 15% off with “Stacie15”)
This content may contain affiliate links. If you shop through my links, I may earn a commission at no cost to you. Thank you for supporting my work!