As summer draws to a close and autumn begins to paint our island landscape, one September tradition marks the changing of the seasons: the Nantucket Island Fair. This community gathering brings together residents and visitors for a weekend of old-fashioned entertainment, local flavor, and island camaraderie.
The fair is being held this year on September 13 and 14 from 10 am to 4 pm each day at Tom Nevers Field, along the south shore of Nantucket. The wide open space there provides plenty of room for plenty of fun (and parking). Fair admission for a carload is $30; fairgoers who bike or walk to the fair pay $15 each. Volunteers who help set up, run, and take down the fair are admitted free of charge. Anyone interested in helping can sign up by sending an email to nantucketislandfairvolunteers@gmail.com
Community gatherings and fairs have long been part of Nantucket’s social fabric, reflecting our island’s tight-knit community spirit. The first Nantucket Island Fair was held in the mid-1800s in the Nantucket Atheneum to celebrate the harvest and strengthen the island’s agricultural economy. According to the Nantucket Historical Association, the first fair included displays of vegetables,
fruits, and “fancy articles,” along with about 60 animals at a nearby empty lot. Entertainment included performances by the Nantucket Brass Band and rides in a whaleboat mounted on wheels. The fair “proved so popular that it was held open for two additional days.”
This year, the Nantucket Island Fair’s schedule is packed with activities that appeal to all ages. At press time, organizers were still finalizing the schedule. According to nantucketislandfair.com, activities on both fair days include Ray’s Barnyard, a scavenger hunt, disc golf demonstrations, scarecrow building, and a dunk tank.
Games and contests will also be held both days: sack races, skillet toss, eggand- spoon race, watermelon eating contests, hot pepper eating contests, and cupcake eating contests.
In the Community Tent, fairgoers will be able to stroll around Gertrude’s Farm Stand to view the contest winners (baked goods, canned goods, and Tar Roof Cake), community exhibitors, and local artisans. On Saturday, Mary Malavase will host Daffodils-a-Plenty from 11 am to 1 pm, and on Sunday at 1 pm Anne Maury will be demonstrating flower arranging.
Ticket will be sold to the Kids’ Corner, with activities designed specifically for younger fairgoers such as a tie-dye booth, pumpkin painting, face painting, pumpkin ring toss, fish bowl pong, can knock down games, and the ever-popular “ducky pluck.”
NanPuppets will offer a show Saturday at 11:15 am, and on both days local music groups will provide a soundtrack to the festivities. On Sunday at 10 am, register four-legged friends may be registered for the Cold Noses Dog Show that will be held at 12 noon.
The Nantucket Island Fair offers an opportunity for island residents and visitors to enjoy the warmth, character, and timeless appeal that make Nantucket a special place. As the organizers note, it’s about “making memories”—and in the community setting of Tom Nevers Field, with the Atlantic Ocean nearby and the island community gathered together, those memories are sure to be treasured for years to come.
The Nantucket Island Fair operates as a charitable fund of the Community Foundation for Nantucket.
