This Week on Nantucket
August 6 - August 13
The 502s
with Neil: Miacomet Woods
August 18, 2026 • 10:00 AM
Meet your Committee and learn about the impact of CPC funded projects on the Community In person or join with Zoom: The
Nantucket Housing Office/Affordable Housing Trust
Niles Parker Nantucket Historical Association
Mark Vanacore and Karen Gottlieb Nantucket Racquet Sports Association
Thursday, Aug. 6
Nantucket Race Week
Through Aug. 16. Nantucket Harbor. Sailing is closely connected with the island’s maritime history and the island pays tribute to that connection with a series of regattas, races and parties hosted by Nantucket Community Sailing. Visit www.nantucketraceweek.org for more information and a schedule of events.
Sunrise Yoga
7:30 a.m. daily, Children’s Beach, Harborview Way. Bettina Broer leads this early-morning yoga session. Bring your own mat.
Pick Your Own Vegetables
8:30 a.m. Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Bartlett’s Ocean View Farm, 33 Bartlett Farm Road. Journey on the Bartlett’s Farm hay wagon into the heart of its produce fields, with plenty of time to fill your own bag.
Feeding Frenzy at the Aquarium
9 a.m. Monday-Saturday, Maria Mitchell Aquarium, 32 Washington St. Join MMA aquarists and staff as they feed the creatures at the aquarium and learn about their feeding behaviors. Registration required on calendar page of www.mariamitchell.org
Island Calendar
Ravenous Reptiles
9 a.m. Monday-Saturday, Hinchman House Natural Science Museum, 7 Milk St. Join MMA staff as they feed the hungry animals at the museum and learn about the adaptations of turtles, frogs, snakes and more. $20. Registration recommended on calendar page of www.mariamitchell.org
Marine Storytime
9:15 a.m. Monday-Saturday, Maria Mitchell Aquarium, 32 Washington St. An MMA educator will read a marine- or science-themed book, introduce one of the MMA’s animal friends and finish with an activity related to the book. $15 per child, chaperones free. Registration recommended on calendar page of www.mariamitchell.org
Dance Party in the Garden
9:45 a.m. Atheneum garden, 1 India St. Cory Morgan leads an energetic, joy-filled dance time with songs, silly dance moves and challenges like Freeze Dance and the Cha-Cha Slide. Weather permitting. Bring a blanket.
THURSDAY, PAGE 14
WORDSONG
Sunday, August 16, 2026
2:00 PM
Nantucket Atheneum
MEET & GREET
Wednesday, August 19, 2026
6:30 PM
Nantucket Atheneum
Reception to Follow
NED ROREM IN PARIS
Friday, August 21, 2026
7:00 PM
Nantucket Dreamland
VOICES OF ECSTASY
Saturday, August 22 & 26, 2026
6:30 PM St. Paul's Episcopal Church
2026 SHOWCASE
Sunday, August 23, 2026
5:00 PM
Sconset
August 24, 2026
STEEL & SILENCE
Friday, August 28, 2026 6:30 PM St. Paul's Episcopal Church THE TRUE PATH
Saturday, August 29, 2026 6:30 PM St. Paul's Episcopal Church
QUARTET FOR THE END OF TIME
Sunday, August 30, 2026
2:00 PM St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
Courtesy of Linda Loring Nature Foundation
The Linda Loring Nature Foundation will host an ecologist in training workshop Wednesday at its Eel Point Road property.
Island Blend a taste of the Mediterranean and South Asia
By Francesca Giangiulio fgiangiulio@inkym.com
I’ve eaten a lot of memorable meals on Nantucket. Goat taas wasn’t one I ever expected to find among them.
The traditional Nepalese street food arrived at the Island Blend table in a small but vibrantly decorated Turkish bowl: bitesized pieces of slow-cooked goat, pan-fried until lightly crisp at the edges and coated in a smoky blend of spices.
It wasn’t flashy or overly complicated, but it didn’t need to be. In Mediterranean cooking, the base ingredients are the star, elevated simply by intricate spice combinations and marinades.
Each bite was deeply aromatic, rich without feeling heavy and unlike anything else I’ve eaten on the island.
That’s Milan Basnet’s goal for Island Blend: give Nantucketers something they haven’t experienced before, something they would normally have to go off-island (or to another country) to try.
Let’s Eat!
While Island Blend may be best known for its Mediterranean menu – complete with gyros, shish kebab, fresh hummus and grilled meats – the goat taas offers a glimpse into what Basnet ultimately hopes the restaurant will become: a place that introduces Nantucket to new, interesting flavors and cuisines.
Located in the former Shangri-La Kitchen space on Orange Street, Island Blend opened this winter after several months of renovations. Basnet, who also owns Easy Street Restaurant and recently expanded to Martha’s Vineyard with The Wave, wanted to preserve some of what longtime customers appreciated about the previous restaurant while creating an entirely new identity centered around authentic Mediterranean cooking, with Indian, Chinese and, eventually, more Nepalese dishes rounding out the menu.
EAT, PAGE 30
Photos by Francesca Giangiulio
Clockwise from top: The goat taas; mixed grill – chicken and lamb shish kebab and the chef’s special wings with Mediterranean salad, rice and tzatziki - and stuffed grape leaves epitomize owner Milan Basnet’s intention at Island Blend: introduce diners to tastes they may not have tried before.
One-of-a-kind pieces of art made from
One Design Regatta - Day 1 August 8 start 12:30pm Kiteboard/Winging start 2:00pm
IOD / J70 Regatta August 9 start 12:30pm Open Laser, Hobie, Melges 15 Regatta start 1:00pm
Alerion, Indian Harbor Race August 12 start 11:30am Women’s Regatta start 11:30am
IOD Celebrity Invitational - Day 1 August 13 start 10:00am IOD Celebrity Invitational - Day 2 August 14 start 10:00am
The Nantucket Regatta - Day 1 start 11:00am
The Nantucket Regatta - Day 2 August 15 start 1100am
One Design Regatta - Day 2 start 12:30pm
Thursday, August 13th | 8:30am-8:30pm Friday, August 14th | 9:00-11:00am Thomas Macy Warehouse | 12 Straight Wharf
Opera House Cup Regatta August 16 start 11:00am Open to the public NRW Merchandise Scan for
YETI, PURE, Citizens Private Bank, Rock & Royals, Great Point Properties, Barton & Gray, Whitehaven, Madaket Marine, Dooney & Bourke, Erica Wilson, Ratsey & Lapthorn, Palm Beach Motor Yachts, Gill, GHYC Foundation, Elusa, Gray Heron, J. McLaughlin Olivela, Nantucket Looms, Nantucket Marine, Mass Cultural Council, Nantucket Boat Basin, Nantucket Event Co., Respoke, Nantucket Launch Co., WaterBoy, Goslings, Atlantic East Real Estate, WRI Weather Routing, ACKTIV Hydration
Photos: Karen Ryan
Brought to you by Erica Wilson
Miacomet Woods and a trail never before explored
By Neil Foley I&M Columnist
It is rare that I find a trail on the map that I have never noticed before.
Not that I am all-knowing, but I spend a lot of time looking at maps. So, I was surprised to find a small connector trail between South Shore and Miacomet roads and decided it was perfect chance to explore.
After another rainy day which carried away the summer heat and humidity, I ventured out to dodge the passing showers and chase the waning light. It was late in the evening, and I did not have long before my forest walk would require a flashlight. But I knew that my November self will be happier knowing that I caught the last of the light at 8:30 p.m.
I parked on the road edge near the mouth of the trail and wandered along, taking in the types of vegetation and structure of the forest. The trail, maintained by the Land
Bank, is wide and well-manicured with small spurs to Sherburne Commons and Wherowhero Lane.
Fruiting season is progressing steadily with pendulous bunches of wild grapes growing larger by the day under wide leaves. Black cherries are darkening in clusters on the trees.
These small, bitter native fruits are vastly different from the sweet cherry cultivars you can get at Stop & Shop.
We are still a little way off from having ripe fruit, but do not hold out for it expecting a tasty native bounty. The flavor is herbaceous and medicinal, requiring heaps and heaps of sugar to make something palatable.
After the rainy day, the once crispy beard lichen has been conditioned into a lush
Photo by Neil Foley
Meeting face to face with a doe in the forest, interrupting her silent evening meal.
Photo by Neil Foley
A Cooper’s hawk silhouetted against the fading daylight.
Walk with Neil
The 502s may be the happiest band in the world
By Kendall Graham kgraham@inkym.com
The 502s seem to have an almost aggressively positive disposition.
Is this kind of relentless optimism radical in today’s age of cynicism? Is their community-minded philosophy an answer to an increasingly isolated global mindset?
The band has built an entire career around this idea.
The Florida indie-folk group proudly embraces the nickname “The Happiest Band on Earth,” but for frontman Ed Isola, that identity has become less about relentless positivity than about finding fulfillment through connection, even when life doesn’t cooperate.
“We love that nickname,” Isola said.
“When the band started, ‘happy’ (to us) was getting as loud as you can with your best friends, living for those moments of euphoric high. Nowadays my understanding of happiness still includes that, but has grown to include a focus on overall fulfillment and connectivity in life.”
That evolution sits at the heart of “Easy Street,” the band’s most recent album, released last year, and of a group that has spent the better part of a decade proving joyful music doesn’t have to ignore life’s complexities to feel genuine.
The 502s will share their ebullient energy
with Nantucket for a show at The Chicken Box Sunday night.
The band formed a decade ago in Maitland, Fla. near Orlando, taking their name from the street number of the childhood home where many of the founding members grew up together.
Today, Isola is joined by drummer Sean Froehlich, bassist Nicholas Melashenko, saxophonist Joe Capati and guitarist Graci Phillips.
Their blend of folk instrumentation, horns, group vocals and singalongs helped them quickly gain attention, beginning with a breakthrough performance at the Okeechobee Music & Arts Festival before a viral wave propelled “Just a Little While” to millions of listeners online.
For many artists, viral success can become a defining moment. The challenge is making sure it isn’t the only one.
For Isola, the answer was surprisingly simple.
“At the time, we were so excited to have people discovering our music that we wanted to talk to each and every new supporter,” he said.
“Days and nights were spent answering DMs and e-mails, and it felt like a rush of joy every time a new one came in. I think the enthusiasm to connect one-to-one with people and really connect ultimately developed a fan base that cares more about the band than about one specific song.”
That emphasis on relationships extends well beyond social media.
Photo by Daniel Chaney
Florida indie folk band The 502s bring their signature “beach folk” sound – blending banjo, horns and communal singalongs – to The Chicken Box Sunday evening.
MusACK
The 502s’ concerts have earned a reputation as communal celebrations. Isola insists that this atmosphere wasn’t carefully engineered.
“I think that has just happened organically because of the type of music we make and the way that we’ve tried to communicate directly with our fans over the years. And also who we are as people,” he said.
“At almost every show there will be a different handful of people that we know really, really well who, at one point, were strangers. So it genuinely does feel like we are playing for friends and family. I think that comfortability on stage permeates the room.”
That philosophy also shapes the band’s performances as they’ve graduated from clubs to larger theaters and festival stages.
“We’ve worked really hard collectively on learning how to adapt a show to how the crowd is feeling in the moment,” Isola said. “We ultimately believe our job on stage is to serve the people that spent the time, money and effort to come to our show.”
The songs themselves are built with that same flexibility in mind.
With banjo, saxophone, horns and layered vocals often sharing space in the arrangements, The 502s’ sound can feel surprisingly expansive for a folk band. Yet Isola says restraint matters just as much as ambition.
“There is a lot of willingness to serve the song first in the band,” he said. “No one ever feels like a song has to have banjo. Or has to have horns. Or has to have gang vocals. It’s all about what feels best and leaves us feeling satisfied in the creative process.”
The willingness to let each song dictate its own identity helped shape what the band now affectionately calls its “beach folk” sound.
“I understand the perspective of optimism being considered naive. I just don’t agree with it. We aren’t oblivious to the realities of life.”
– Ed Isola
The 502s Frontman
The label emerged sort of by accident. The music followed a similar path.
“We started off with a classic folk setup and songs that were very reflective, but ultimately realized we had more influences,”
Isola said. “Beach folk is really just our way of trying to represent what makes us us. It’s folk music played with folk instrumentation, with a little Florida breeze and positivity dashed in there.”
That positivity, however, should not be mistaken for blind optimism.
One of the most affecting moments on “Easy Street” arrives with “Quicksand,” a reflective song that stands apart from the album’s otherwise jovial energy. Rather than disrupting the record’s mood, Isola believes it completes it.
“We make celebratory music but we’ve also all had our hearts broken. We’ve all experienced loss,” he said. “As friends within the band we’ve supported each other through all the heartbreak and loss and bad times. It’s what has brought the band closer together.”
“You can’t really appreciate the high moments unless you’ve gone through some rough ones. And you can’t really celebrate with people if you haven’t connected on a deeper level.”
Photo by Daniel Chaney
For The 502s, every concert is about more than the music. The Florida indie folk band hopes audiences leave with “a sweaty shirt and a big old smile” — and a sense of connection.
Katherine Center an unsung hero of romance genre
By Amber Chang
Contributing Writer
These are my selling points for a romance novel:
• Banter for days
• Interesting character development
• Plot with depth
• A warm and fuzzy ending that is tied up nicely in a bow
If that’s the case for you as well, allow me to introduce contemporary romance author Katherine Center. I like Abby Jiminez and Emily Henry as much as the next girl, but Center is an underhyped author who deserves more eyeballs and adoration.
I’ve read four of her books so far and have been charmed by each of them. There are genuinely laugh-out-loud moments, tearfully sweet moments and kick your feet in the air with giddiness moments.
I like that her female characters are feisty, sassy and funny; the male characters are dependable, endearing and supportive. And, oh the banter. It is so smooth and witty, you can feel the chemistry wafting off the pages.
Center knows how to write three-dimensional, relatable characters and how to peel back the onion layer by layer as the story develops.
Whether main or supporting, all the characters are slightly but delightfully unhinged and a little messy, but kind and decent people at their core.
By the last page, I want to be real-life friends with these characters. They are inherently decent people, so rooting for their happiness and success is easy. Good people deserve good things to happen to them.
The characters also have interesting jobs which adds a fun element:
• “The Bodyguard:” Hannah’s an executive protection agent and Jack’s a movie star with a stalker. He doesn’t want his family to worry about the reasons why he needs a bodyguard so they pretend to be dating. Hijinks ensues.
• “The Shippers:” Jojo’s a middle-school math teacher and Cooper’s a sound-effects guy for movies. They’re childhood friends who reconnect when he objects at her wedding. Then they go on a cruise for her sister’s wedding. Chaos ensues.
• “The Love Haters:” Katie’s a video producer and Tom’s a Coast Guard rescue swimmer. She’s sent to produce promotional videos for the Coast Guard and may have exaggerated her ability to swim (as in she can’t). He is Internet famous for a past heroic deed, but now a reluctant participant in the promo videos. Tomfoolery ensues.
• “Hello Stranger:” Sadie’s an artist suffering from face blindness and Joe’s Mr. Helpful. There is a misunderstanding at the beginning of the book that unravels
Author Katherine Center.
Good Reads
throughout. Mischief ensues. And there’s a sweet dog in this one.
Another thing I like about these books is the plot evolves at a steady pace: the process of how the characters meet, overcome obstacles and end up choosing each other doesn’t feel rushed or contrived or boring. You will be drawn in and want to keep reading, if only to see what kind of shenanigans the characters find themselves in.
There’s a warmth to the way Center writes that makes you invested in a happy outcome for them.
Finally, the endings are satisfyingly hap-
Chandra Wicke Photography
py, because the good guys win and the bad guys lose. You’ve spent a few hours with these people, the toms have been fooled and all is right in the world again.
The great thing about rom-coms is you know the main characters will end up lovingly together. In this day and age, when the real world can feel like one giant, uncontrollable dumpster fire, it’s nice to expect a joyful ending and have that expectation be delivered wrapped in a pretty bow.
You may think that knowing how the book ends makes the story predictable, but that is not the case with Center’s books. Her storytelling is compelling, and the characters’ twisty journey to finding happiness with each other is part of the fun. We, the readers,
are lucky enough to go along for the ride. Of the four books I’ve read, any of the first three listed would be a good place to start. They’re all stand-alone books with none to minimal spice. I do have to say that “Hello Stranger” was my least favorite of the four. Regardless, none of these books will let you down. They’ll make you laugh, cry, swoon and cheer.
Fun fact: “The Bodyguard” is being adapted into a movie by Netflix; it’s titled “Guarding Stars” and starring Leighton Meester and Jared Padalecki.
Two of Center’s other books have already been made into movies: “The Lost Husband” and “Happiness for Beginners.”
Amber Chang is a library associate at the Nantucket Atheneum.
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Saturday, May 24th @ ’Sconset Casino, get tickets!
America’s own: Wild, woolly and wonderful
By Peter McEachern I&M Columnist
In 1983 I went on a student-chapter trip with the Club Managers Association of America down the west coast of Florida, and somewhere along the way the group sat down to a tasting of single-vineyard Fetzer Zinfandels.
I should tell you where my head was at the time. I believed, with the unshakable confidence of a young man who knew nothing, that wine came in exactly three varieties: red, white and sparkling.
That was the whole map. Red was red.
Then the glasses came out, poured from the same grape, grown by the same family, in the same county in California and every one of them was different.
One was all bramble and black pepper; another was sweet with raspberry and sun; a third had a savory, almost meaty depth I had no words for.
Same grape. Same vintage. Same hand. Completely different wines, and the only
thing that had changed was the patch of dirt the vines were standing in.
That afternoon rearranged something. Wine stopped being a beverage and became a question: a place, a year, a decision, a story you could taste.
Forty-some years later I am still chasing the answer, and it began with this grape. So it is a particular pleasure to give Zinfandel its week, because the grape that turned me into a wine lover has, it turns out, an origin story every bit as full of mystery and rediscovery as my own.
The grape with no country
For most of the 20th century, nobody could say where Zinfandel came from. It was America’s grape – the most Californian of all the California grapes – and yet it answered to no European homeland that anyone could prove.
Photo by Dennis Swanson
A lush, green California Zinfandel vineyard in late spring.
Courtesy of Peter McEachern Famous old-vine Zinfandel grapes in Paso Robles, Calif.
Wine Cellar: The Noble Grapes
The square and tower of Split’s Diocletian palace in Dalmatia, Croatia, the birthplace of Zinfandel.
It clearly wasn’t native. Vines don’t cross oceans on their own. Italy offered a tantalizing near-match in Primitivo, the dark, jammy grape of Puglia in the heel of the Italian boot, and for years many assumed the two were cousins, or the same thing wearing different clothes. But the trail kept going cold.
The answer, when it finally came, was Croatian. In December 2001, Carole Meredith, a geneticist at the University of California Davis, working with Ivan Pejić and Edi Maletić of the University of Zagreb, used DNA profiling to prove that Zinfandel, Primitivo and an all-but-extinct Croatian variety called Crljenak Kaštelanski were one and the same grape.
The Croatian scientists had to walk the old cliffside vineyards of Dalmatia row by row to find it. In the end the match came down to just nine surviving vines in a single grower’s plot in Kaštel Novi, near Split.
The grape’s oldest recorded name, Tribidrag, appears in a Croatian document from 1444, predating the first written mention of Primitivo by more than three centuries, and of “Zinfandel” by nearly 400 years.
There is a lovely human footnote to all this. Miljenko “Mike” Grgich – the Croatian-born winemaker who made the Chardonnay that beat the French at the 1976 Judgment of Paris – had insisted for decades that California Zinfandel tasted of his boyhood on the Dalmatian coast. Everyone smiled politely. He turned out to be right.
How the grape actually reached America is a small comedy of errors that took two centuries to untangle.
When the Habsburgs absorbed the Dalmatian coast at the close of the 18th century, cuttings of its native vines found their way into the emperor’s vast plant collection at Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna.
From there, sometime in the 1820s, a Long Island horticulturist named George Gibbs received a shipment of unnamed European vines and somewhere in the hand-off, a label went astray.
The grape seems to have picked up a garbled version of “Zierfandler,” the name of an entirely unrelated Austrian white, and early CELLAR, PAGE 28
MONDAYS WITH MAGIC MARK
Mon | 10:00 - 10:45 AM | 6.29 - 8.31
TUESDAY TIE-DYE
Tue | 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM | 6.30 - 9.1
WEDNESDAY WELLNESS CHILDREN’S YOGA WITH PHOEBE STROBINO
Wed | 9:30 - 10:30 AM | 7.1 - 9.9
TERRIFIC THURSDAY CRAFTING Thu | 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM | 7.2 - 9.3
MUSIC AND MOVEMENT WITH COOL CORY Fridays | 10:00 - 10:30 AM | 7.10 - 8.21
CAPOEIRA ON THE BANDSTAND WITH WERDUM Sat | 9:00 - 10:30 AM | 6.13 - 10.03
SUMMER CONCERT SERIES
Sundays | 6:00 - 7:15 PM | 6.21 - 9.6
Courtesy of Peter McEachern
(Thursday, continued from page 3)
Green Crab Fertilizer Workshop
10 a.m. Sustainable Nantucket Community Farm, 168 Hummock Pond Road. Help control the invasive green crab population by creating an environmentally friendly fertilizer for your garden. Bring completely waterproof boots you’re comfortable crushing dead crabs with, as well as a sealable bottle or jar to take home your fertilizer. Register on calendar page of www.mariamitchell.org
Tree Tour
10 a.m. Nantucket Land & Water Council, 6 Ash Lane. Nantucket waterkeeper RJ Turcotte leads a tour of downtown trees and discusses how the island’s trees have been preserved over the decades. Tickets at www. nantucketlandwater.org
Hands-on History
10:15 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, Nantucket Whaling Museum Discovery Room, 13 Broad St. Hands-on family programming connecting the Nantucket Historical Association’s 2026 exhibition “The Wider World and Scrimshaw” with a craft for participants to make and take home. Register on calendar page of www.nha.org
“Anything Goes”
10:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. Nantucket High School auditorium, 10 Surfside Road. The Nantucket Stage Company youth theater troupe presents the comedy “Anything Goes.” Through Aug.9. Visit www.nantucketstagecompany.org for tickets and additional dates and times.
Family Connections Tour
10:30 a.m. Nantucket Whaling Museum, 13 Broad St. Museum guides bring the NHA’s 2026 exhibit, “The Wider World and Scrimshaw,” to life with visual and tactile elements. Concludes with a take-home craft activity. Free with museum admission. Register on calendar page of www.nha.org
Walking Tour
10:45 a.m. Monday-Saturday, Nantucket Whaling Museum, 13 Broad St. The Nantucket Historical Association’s downtown walking tour transports visitors on a journey through Nantucket’s past and tells the story of the rise and the fall of the whaling industry, the rise of tourism and the impacts the island’s economy had on social and racial development on Nantucket. Reserve tickets at www.nha.org
Breathwork and Movement
11 a.m. Location provided upon registration. Andrew Viselli leads this 60-minute session that incorporates guided meditation, reiki and subtle movement to relax, calm and empower. Register on events page of www.nantucketconservation.org
Island Calendar
Hands-on History at the Old Jail
11 a.m.-4 p.m. Old Gaol (Jail), 15R Vestal St. Learn about the Nantucket Historical Association’s Old Jail and some of its inhabitants, and make a beaded keychain. Free.
Mini Movers
11 a.m Hinchman House Natural Science Museum, 7 Milk St. Young children and their caregivers are invited to wiggle, dance and explore the animal kingdom through movement, music and hands-on discovery. $15. Additional session Saturday. Registration recommended on calendar page of www. mariamitchell.org. Additional session Tuesday.
Noonday Concert: Mitch Blake
Noon, Unitarian Meeting House, 11 Orange St. Island musician Mitch Blake will perform a half-hour concert.
Community Knit-In
1-3 p.m. Nantucket Island School of Design and the Arts Heifer Barn, 23 Wauwinet Road. NISDA interns Seamus Chandler and Avery Reinhold lead this group of knitters and crocheters working together and learning new techniques. Register at www.nisda.org.
Old Salts Sailing
1 p.m. Jetties Sailing Center, Jetties Beach, end of Bathing Beach Road. Nantucket Community Sailing offers free access to sailing for seniors 55 and over. Register at www.nantucketcommunitysailing.org
Kids Metal Detecting
2 p.m. Maria Mitchell Aquarium, 32 Washington St. Metal detectorist Nikoline Bohr invites young explorers to learn the basics of metal detecting in a fun and engaging way in this one-hour program. $30. Register on calendar page of www.mariamitchell.org
Read to a Buddy
2 p.m. Atheneum gallery, 1 India St. Children 6-12 are invited to bring a book from home or choose one from the library and read to a READ (Reading Education Assistance Dog) therapy dog. Registration required by calling (508) 228-1110, ext. 103.
Sconset Preservation Tour
3 p.m. 1 New St., Sconset. Explore scenic Sconset with the Nantucket Preservation Trust and learn about the history of this unique fishing settlement at the eastern edge of the island. Register on events page of www.nantucketpreservation.org
Live Music: Glen David Andrews
4 p.m. Cisco Brewers, 5 Bartlett Farm Road. Athens, New Orleans jazz musician Glen David Andrews will perform. Second show 4 p.m. Friday.
Art Reception: AAN
5 p.m. Cecelia Joyce & Seward Johnson Gallery, 8 Federal St. The Artists Association of Nantucket will host a reception for its Eye of the Beholder Hale Juried Exhibition, on display through Aug. 18.
The Artistic Career of David Hostetler
5 p.m. Hostetler Gallery, 33 Centre St. Explore the artistic career of the late sculptor David Hostetler, in this summer of what would have been his 100th birthday.
Preservation Trust August Fete
5 p.m. Location provided upon registration. Nantucket Preservation Trust will host its annual August Fete and Sense of Place auction. Tickets at www.nantucketpreservation.org
Evening Art
5 p.m. Maria Mitchell Association Natural Science Museum, 7 Milk St. Artist Nikoline Bohr instructs participants on how to create a personal work of art inspired by Nantucket’s iconic lighthouses and resident animal ambassadors in the museum’s collection. Intended for adults. $45. Registration required on calendar page of www.mariamitchell.org
Sip and Stitch
6 p.m. Erica Wilson, 25 Main St. An evening of creativity, conversation and community. All are welcome, whether you’re a seasoned embroiderer or threading your first needle. Free.
Thursday Night Fete
6-8 p.m. Nantucket Island School of Design and the Arts, 23 Wauwinet Road. NISDA hosts an evening of food trucks, island tunes, open mic and a chance to make a ceramic bowl to contribute to the Nantucket Food, Fuel and Rental Assistance No More Empty Bowls fall fundraiser. All are welcome.
“Putting It Together”
7 p.m. Bennett Hall, 62 Centre St. Theatre Workshop of Nantucket presents “Putting It Together,” an adaptation of the Stephen Sondheim musical revue. Through Aug. 14. Visit www.theatrenantucket.org for additional dates, times and tickets.
Ice Out Alz
7:30 p.m. Cisco Brewers, 5 Bartlett Farm Road. An evening of food, drinks and a cornhole tournament in support of Ice Out Alz, which raises awareness about those living with Alzheimer’s and dementia on Nantucket. Hosted by Olympic gold and silver-medal-winning women’s ice hockey player and Nantucket-born AJ Mleczko. Tickets, $250, at givesmart.com
“First”
7:30 p.m. Nantucket Performing Arts Center, 5 North Water St. Tony Award Winner Judith Ivey stars as Jeannette Rankin, the first woman elected to Congress, in a riveting solo play inspired by her life. Through Aug. 14. Tickets at www.nantucketperformingarts.org
Live Music: Maddi Ryan
8 p.m. Brotherhoood of Thieves, 23 Broad St. Boston-based country singer Maddi Ryan will perform. Additional shows Friday and Saturday.
Owl Prowl
8 p.m. Maria Mitchell Association, 4 Vestal St. MMA field ornithologist and I&M columnist Ginger Andrews leads this search for owls and other nocturnal animals and birds. Intended for adults and children 8 and up. $30. Registration required on calendar page of www.mariamitchell.org
Nighttime Marine Ecology Field Trip
8:30 p.m. Maria Mitchell Aquarium, 32 Washington St. The aquarium staff discusses the fish, squid, crabs and other creatures that come out to feed at night in the shallow waters of Nantucket Harbor. Register on calendar page of www.mariamitchell.org
Live Music: 7 Day Weekend
10 p.m. The Chicken Box, 6 Dave St. New England’s high-energy party band 7 Day Weekend will perform. Tickets at the door. 21 and over. Additional shows Friday and Saturday.
Live Music: Local Notes
10 p.m. Rose & Crown, 23 South Water St. Nantucket’s homegrown rock band Local Notes will perform. 21 and over.
Live Music: The St. Cecelia
10 p.m. Gaslight Nantucket, 3 North Union St. International rock and roll band The St. Cecelia will perform. 21 and over.
Live Music: 7 Day Weekend
10 p.m. The Chicken Box, 6 Dave St. Boston area party band 7 Day Weekend will perform. Additional shows Friday and Saturday.
Friday, Aug. 7
Marine Ecology Field Trip
8:30 a.m. Hither Creek, Madaket, near 25 Massachusetts Ave. Adults and children 8 and older are invited to help Maria Mitchell Association staff collect, identify and release fish, crabs, shrimp and other marine creatures with a seine net. Additional sessions Monday and Wednesday. Tickets, $35, on calendar page of www.mariamitchell.org
Island Calendar
Nature Walk
8:30 a.m. Location provided upon registration. Explore the retired pastures, forested paths and hidden wetlands of Squam Farm, former farmland used for a 10-year study of the ecological effects of sheep grazing. Register on events page of www.nantucketconservation.org
Pick Your Own Flowers
8:30 a.m. Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Bartlett’s Ocean View Farm, 33 Bartlett Farm Road. Spend a picturesque morning in the farm’s organic flower fields. The Bartlett’s team provides the clippers and guidance to help you create the perfect bouquet.
Kids Bird Watching
9 a.m. Maria Mitchell Aquarium, 32 Washington St. Children 7 and up are invited to learn how to observe, listen for and identify the birds of Nantucket’s coastal ecosystem. $25. Register on calendar page of www.mariamitchell.org
BioBlitz Nature Walk
10 a.m. Linda Loring Nature Foundation, 110 Eel Point Road. LLNF director of research and conservation Sarah Bois leads a guided tour of the property, highlighting its biodiversity. Free, but registration required on calendar page of www.llnf.org
Dharma Yoga
10:15 a.m., Bartlett’s Ocean View Farm, 33 Bartlett Farm Road. Joanne Burnham of Dharma Yoga leads this session to strengthen and lengthen, enliven and invigorate, soothe and calm. Visit www.dharmayoganantucket.com to register or for additional dates and times.
Bug Bonanza
11 a.m. Mill Hill Park, off Prospect Street. Maria Mitchell Association staff lead this exploration of the insects and small creatures that live in the grasses, flowers and trees of Nantucket. Intended for children 4 and up and adults. $20. Register on calendar page of www.mariamitchell.org. Additional sessions Monday and Wednesday.
Dreamland Kids Weekly Showcase
11 a.m. Dreamland Theater, 17 South Water St. Young performers in the Dreamland’s Stage Explorers showcase what they’ve learned through theater, language and etiquette, followed by an interactive tea service and sing-along. Tickets at www.nantucketdreamland.org
Hands-on History at the Oldest House
11 a.m.-4 p.m. Oldest House, 16 Sunset Hill Lane. Learn about the Nantucket Historical Association’s Jethro Coffin House and the generations of Nantucketers who lived there, and create your own cup-andball game. Free.
Live Music: Doug & Co.
Noon, Cisco Brewers, 5 Bartlett Farm Road. Nantucket’s own jam band Doug & Co., inspired by the Grateful Dead, will perform.
BioBlitz Wrap-up Party
1 p.m. Linda Loring Nature Foundation, 110 Eel Point Road. Hear about the wide variety of species found on the island, check out the leaderboard to see who this year’s top observers were, meet other BioBlitzers and enjoy some light snacks and refreshments.
Wines & Rinds
3:30-5 p.m. Bartlett’s Ocean View Farm, 33 Bartlett Farm Road. A relaxed, guided pairing of the farms favorite wines and cheeses.
FRIDAY, PAGE 22
Activities:
Absolute Sport Fishing
19 Straight Wharf (508) 325-4000
ACK Surf School
64 Nobadeer Ave (508) 246-7872
Albacore Charters
Slip 1010, Straight Wharf (508) 228-5074
Albacore Charters
Slip 1010 Straight Wharf (508) 228-5074
Altar Rock & The Moors
50 Altar Rock Rd
Althea K Sport Fishing
50 Easton St (508) 325-2167
Ara’s Tours
6 Fair St (508) 228-1951
Bamboo Forest 52 Madaket Rd
Barrett’s Tours 25 Federal St (508) 228-0174
Bill Fisher Outfitters 20 N Cambridge St (203) 962-8867
Captain Tom’s Charters
F St, Madaket (508) 228-4225
Cisco Beach Hummock Pond Road
Cisco Brewery Tours
18b Federal St (508) 325-5929
Cook’s Cycles Nantucket
6 S Beach St, Ste B (508) 458-8042
Coskata-Coatue Wildlife Refuge 107 Wauwinet Rd (508) 228-5646
Critter Cruise Straight Wharf, Slip 1018
Cross Rip Outfitters
26 Mizzenmast Rd (508) 221-1201
Discover Nantucket Tours 77 Easton St (917) 716-5973
Discovery Playground at Hinsdale Park
54 Old South Rd
Easy Riders Bicycle Rentals 65 Surfside Rd (508) 325-2722
Endeavor Sailing Adventures
Straight Wharf, Slip #1015 (508) 228-5585
Gail’s Tours, Inc. 28 Longwood Dr (508) 257-6557
Herbert T Sport Fishing Slip 14, Straight Wharf (508) 228-6655
Island Bike Company Inc. 25 Old South Rd (508) 228-4070
Island Experience Transportation Nantucket, MA (508) 221-4590
Just Do It Too
1013 Straight Wharf (508) 228-7448
Linda Loring Nature Foundation 110 Eel Point Rd (508) 325-0873
Lisa Lynn Charters Town Pier, 34 Washington St (508) 221-6124
Lost Farm Wildlife Sanctuary Hummock Pond Rd (508) 228-9208
Masquetuck Reservation 15 Quaise Pasture Rd (508) 228-2884
Mass Audubon’s Sesachacha Heathlands Barnard Valley Rd (508) 228-9208
Nantucket Bike Shop 4 Broad St (508) 228-1999
Nantucket Bike Tours 77 Easton St (917) 716-5973
Nantucket By Water Slip 1011, Straight Wharf (508) 228-7037
Nantucket Community Sailing 4 Winter St (508) 228-6600
nantucketconservation.org 508-228-2884
Nantucket Fishing Hither Creek (508) 325-1575
Nantucket Historical Association 15 Broad St (508) 228-1894
Nantucket Information Bureau 25 Federal St (508) 228-0925
Nantucket Island Tours 42 Straight Wharf (508) 228-0334
Nantucket National Wildlife Refuge 107 Wauwinet Rd (978) 443-4661
Nantucket Tug Company 34 Washington St (831) 251-8018
Nantucket Walkabout 15 Washington St (508) 422-7466
Next Level Watersports 24 Washington St (508) 680-3343
Sandy Pedals Bikes 65 Surfside Rd (508) 680-4497
Sanford Farm 118 Madaket Rd (508) 228-2884
Sconset Bluff Walk 27 Bank St, Siasconset
Sea Nantucket Paddle Sports Rentals and Tours
76 Washington St (508) 228-7499
Seabilly Fishing Charters Public Pier, F St (617) 943-1990
Serengeti Nantucket Tom Nevers Rd (508) 228-2884
Your Destination for all things Nantucket
Smith’s Point Madaket, MA
Starr Fish Charters 34 Washington St, Slip 71 (508) 221-0298
Steve Tuna’s Beach Fishing Adventures Nantucket, MA (508) 325-5587
Swain’s Travel Inc.
35 Old South Rd, #2 (508) 228-3201
The Creeks Preserve 2 Milestone Road (508) 228-7240
Topspin Fishing Charters Town Pier, 34 Washington St (508) 246-6210
Tupancy Links 157 Cliff Rd (508) 228-2884
Val’s Cab and Tours 5 Fairgrounds Rd (508) 228-9410
Windswept Bog 301 Polpis Rd (508) 228-2884
Young’s Bicycle Shop 6 Broad St (508) 228-1151
Galleries:
Artists Association of Nantucket Gallery
8 Federal St (508)228-0294
Cavalier Ebanks Galleries 10 Federal St (508)325-4405
East End Gallery 3 Old North Wharf (508)228-4515
Eric Holch Gallery 5 Pine St (508)246-7653
G.S. Hill Gallery
40 Straight Wharf (508)228-1353
John Rugge Antiques Shop 5 India St (508)332-4256
Marcus Foley | Thomas Macy Gallery 12 Straight Wharf (508)332-9833
Pete’s Fresh Fish Prints 17 Old South Wharf (508)325-1842
Pierce Galleries Inc. 5 S Water St (508)228-1789
Quidley & Company Fine Art Galleries 26 Main St (508)228-4300
Sylvia Antiques 15 Main St (508)228-0960
The Gallery at Four India Street 4 India St (508)228-8509
The Scrimshander Gallery 38 Centre St (508)228-1004
Health & Wellness:
ACK Infusion (469) 235-7864
Island Chiropractic
Dr. Nicholas Ouellette, DC, PSP Chiropractic Physician Primary Spine Practitioner 4 Bartlett Road • 508-325-4777 nantucketchiropractic.com
Nantucket community for over a decade, Dr. Ouellette provides comprehensive, compassionate Chiropractic care that goes beyond pain relief.
ACK Natural Cannabis Dispensary 19 Spearhead Drive (508) 901-5225
• Expert whole body joint and soft tissue care
• Doctor-guided nutritional consultations & protocols
Collective Wellness 35 B Old South Road (978) 771-8857
• Professional-grade supplement dispensary
• Tailored exercise prescription
• Custom-scanned orthotic inserts
MAST
49 Fairgrounds Road (508) 534-8378
• Ergonomic assessments for you and your business. Supporting your body’s ability to heal, move, and thrive — naturally.
EZIA Athletic Club 117 Orange Street (508) 901-9251
Keeping Nantucket Community Healthy All Year Long
508-228-2689 •
Glistn Nantucket 5 Old South Road (774) 485-9605
Great Harbor Yacht Club 96 Washington Street (508) 325-5200
Nantucket Aesthetics 1 Hooper Farm Road (508) 221-4705
4 Bartlett Road • 508-325-4777 nicholasouellettedc@gmail.com www.nantucketchiropractic.com
Nantucket CBD 110 Pleasant Street (508) 825-9100
Nantucket Cycling & Fitness 25 Youngs Way (508) 901-5230
Nantucket Energy Therapy 35 Old South Road (508) 901-3558
Nantucket Healing Arts 16 B Amelia Drive (203) 628-5827
Health Imperatives Nantucket 20 Vesper Lane #3 (508) 228-9189
Nantucket Health Club 10 Youngs Way (508) 228-4750
Download the app for the island’s most complete calendar of events, restaurants, business listings, and things to do.
Nantucket Holistic Health
37 C Old South Road (508) 228-7577
Surfside Somatics
6 Holly Street (508) 901-9608
The Copper Rose 16A Amelia Drive (508) 221-5023
The Green Lady Dispensary
11 Amelia Drive (774) 333-3875
The Westmoor Club
10 Westmoor Lane (508) 228-9494
Lodging:
21 Broad Hotel
21 Broad St (508) 228-4749
29 Fair Street Inn
29 Fair St (508) 257-4577
29 India House Bed & Breakfast
29 India St (508) 228-0308
76 Main Ink Press Hotel
76 Main St (508) 228-2533
Anchor Inn 66 Centre St (508) 228-0072
Blue Iris
10 Hussey St (844) 970-3677
Brant Point Courtyard
15 Swain St (508) 228-0241
Brass Lantern Inn
11 North Water St (508) 228-4064
Carlisle House Inn
26 North Water St (508) 228-0720
CHAPMAN HOUSE
20 N Water St (855) 652-0137
Cliff Lodge Bed & Breakfast
9 Cliff Rd (508) 228-9480
Cliffside Beach Club
46 Jefferson Ave (508) 228-0618
Faraway Nantucket
29 Centre St (877) 279-1405
Greydon House 17 Broad St (508) 228-2468
Harborview Nantucket 24 Washington St (508) 301-7551
Hotel Pippa
5 Chestnut St (508) 228-5300
Jared Coffin House
29 Broad St (800) 248-2405
Life House Nantucket 10 Cliff Rd (508) 338-9816
Martin House Inn 61 Centre St (508) 228-0678
Seven Sea Street Inn
7 Sea St (508) 228-3577
Sherburne Inn 10 Gay St (855) 652-0137
Ships Inn 13 Fair St (508) 228-0040
The Barnacle Inn 11 Fair St (508) 228-0332
The Beachside Hotel 30 North Beach St (833) 670-2164
The Brant 6 North Beach St (508) 960-6528
The Centerboard Nantucket 8 Chester St (508) 825-5954
The Chestnut House 3 Chestnut St (508) 228-0049
The Cottages at Nantucket Boat Basin 24 Old South Wharf (866) 838-9253
The Nantucket Hotel & Resort 77 Easton St (866) 807-6011
The Nantucket Inn 1 Miller Ln (508) 228-6900
The Periwinkle Inn 9 North Water St (508) 228-9267
The Regatta Inn 78 Centre St (855) 652-0137
The Summer House Cottages 17 Ocean Ave (508) 257-4577
The Veranda House 3 Step Ln (855) 652-0137
The Wade Cottages 35 Shell St (508) 680-1272
The Wauwinet 120 Wauwinet Rd (508) 228-0145
The White Elephant 50 Easton St (800) 445-6574
Union Street Inn
7 Union St (508) 228-9222
Nightlife:
Brotherhood of Thieves 23 Broad St (774) 325-5812
Cisco Brewers 5 Bartlett Farm Rd (508) 325-5929
Dreamland 17 S Water St (508) 332-4822
Nantucket Tavern & Gazebo 1 Harbor Square (508) 228-1266
Sandbar at Jetties Beach Bar & Restaurant 4 Bathing Beach Rd #2234 (508) 228-2279
Sister Ship 29 Centre St (508) 257-1318
The Chicken Box 16 Dave St (508) 228-9717
Your Destination for all things Nantucket
The Club Car
1 Main St (508) 228-1101
The Gaslight
3 N Union St (508) 228-6464
The Muse & Pizza Joint
44 Surfside Rd (508) 228-6873
The Rose and Crown
23 S Water St (508) 228-2595
The Tree Bar
6 Oak St #3527 (508) 325-8696
Salons & Spas:
A Cut Above
14 Macys Ln (508) 228-4288
ACK Beauty & Barbershop
57 Old South Rd (508) 680-1188
BE ACK Salon
19 Washington St (508) 901-9630
Beauty Bar
3 Hanabea Ln (508) 228-1905
Color Up Nails & Spa
31 Old South Rd (508) 825-5505
Daiva Salon
56 Pleasant St (508) 325-4091
Darya Salon & Spa
7 South Beach St (508) 228-0550
Emma Ross Hair & Beauty 19 North Beach St (508) 228-0436
ES Beauty Lounge by Gen 35B Old South Rd (844) 666-0878
Gigi Hair Studio
35C Old South Rd (508) 680-1394
Glistn Nantucket
5 Old South Rd (774) 485-9605
Hair Concern
35 Old South Rd, Unit 4 (508) 228-4864
Huna Bodywork with Allison 6 Toms Way (774) 812-8999
Island Glow Nantucket 2 Sanford Road (508) 680-4715
L and R Barbershop
7A Hanabea Ln (774) 325-6836
Lavender Farm Wellness
6 West Creek Rd (508) 332-3382
Monarch Face & Body 37 Old South Rd (508) 680-1416
Nantucket Holistic Health 37 Old South Rd C (508) 228-7577
Ocean Day Spa at The Nantucket Hotel 77 Easton St (508) 272-7703
On Glaze 8 West Creek Rd (508) 228-6245
Rachel Dixon LLC –
Massage & Wellness 4 Bartlett Rd (508) 364-2380
Scissorhands 68 Old South Rd (508) 901-1417
Sisters’ Salon & Spa 117 Pleasant St (508) 228-7720
Suzanne’s Hair Design 78 Surfside Rd (508) 228-7444
White Elephant Spa by Darya
50 Easton St (508) 638-3440
Wilbert Barber Shop 15 Amelia Dr (508) 208-7477
Shopping:
Alice Walk
18b Federal St (508) 680-2423
Annie & the Tees 19 S Water St (508) 228-5505
ASHA Nantucket 18 Federal St (508) 221.6180
Assemble 18 Federal St (508) 680-1845
Breezin Up 48 Main St (508) 325-4622 6
Valero Salon & Spa 68 Old South Rd (508) 221-1648
Atlantic Nantucket 4 India St (508) 228-7776
Beau & Ro Nantucket 4 Federal St (508) 901-5792
Byrdie by Nina Liddle Design 11 Washington St. (77) 333-3604
Download the app for the island’s most complete calendar of events, restaurants, business listings, and things to do.
Cartolina 22 Centre Street (508) 228-4900
Cattivo Nantucket 20 Centre St (508) 680-1215
Centre Pointe 22 Centre St (508) 228-4900
Charleston Shoe Co.
4 S Water St (508) 901-9134
Clorinda Antinori 58 Main St (508) 825-5321
Commonwealth 16 Federal St (508) 901-9222
D Dream & Poeta 26 Center St (508) 742-8328
Dairy Boy 14 Federal St (508) 901-2159
David Chase Inc 56 Main St (508) 325-8678
DAWN 2 Harbor Sq (508) 901-5406
DÔEN
32 Main St (877) 756-7353
Ellsworth + Ivey 34 Main St (774) 333-3661
Erica Wilson Inc
25 Main St (508) 228-9881
Erin Hielle Nantucket
0 Main St (508) 901-5561
Faherty Nantucket 0 Candle St (774) 325-5161
For Now 48 Centre St
Four Winds Gifts
8 Straight Wharf (508) 228-1597
Grace Geier 16 Straight Wharf #1 (603) 667-5862
Gypsy 20 Federal St (508) 228-4404
Hepburn 3 Salem St (508) 228-1458
Hill House Home 33 Main St
Hospital Thrift Shop 17 India Street (508) 228-1125
Inkerman Nantucket 13 Centre St (508) 825-5865
Island Treasures Retail Store 128 Old South Rd (508) 228-0789
J. McLaughlin 1 Salem St (508) 325-6351
Julia Amory
28B Easy St (774) 325-5490
Ladybird Lingerie 7 Centre St (508) 228-6093
Legit 12 Old South Wharf
Levitate Surf Shack 39 Straight Wharf
Lilly Pulitzer 5 S Water St (508) 228-0569
Long Wharf Supply Co. 31 Centre St
Marissa Collections 25 Centre St (774) 325-5193
Milly & Grace 2 Washington St (508) 901-5051
Mitchell’s Book Corner 54 Main St (508) 228-1080
Monelle 32 Centre St (508) 680-1316
Murray’s Toggery Shop 62 Main St (508) 228-0437
Nalu 14 Cambridge St (508) 325-6110
Nantucket Bookworks 25 Broad St (508) 228-4000
Nantucket Clothing Company 6 S Water St (508) 228-3356
Nantucket Peddler
37 Straight Wharf (508) 325-5654
Nantucket Surf Club 21 S Water St (508) 325-2792
Peachtree Kids & Monogram Shop 19 Main St (508) 228-8555
Peter England Nantucket 3 Old South Wharf (508) 241-8301
Polo Ralph Lauren 16 Main St (508) 228-9451
REMY
2 Old South Wharf (617) 840-5898
Res Ipsa 3 India St (508) 955-2288
Respoke 41 Straight Wharf (508) 413-3221
Sal Amore 8 Washington St
Sara Campbell 5 S Beach St (508) 680-1626
Seconds Shop
32 Sparks Ave (508) 228-6677
Serenella 9 S Beach St (508) 228-3400
Southern Tide Nantucket 34 Main St (774) 325-5171
Your Destination for all things Nantucket
STAUD
38 Center St (774) 485-2094
Stephanie’s Nantucket
42 Main St (508) 228-0624
Steplane 29 Centre St (617) 455-2318
Summer Shades
16 Straight Wharf (508) 325-5530
Sunken Ship
12 Broad St (508) 228-9226
The Black Dog Nantucket 40 Straight Wharf (508) 325-5411
The Dress Code 9 Centre St (508) 680-1716
The General Store by Roller Rabbit 44 Centre St (917) 692-0316
The Rainbow Fleet 167 Orange St (508) 680-1159
The Shop by WHEAT Nantucket 5 S Water St (774) 382-6787
The Skinny Dip: A Summer Collective 23 Old South Wharf (508) 901-5870
Townpool 53 Main St
Trish Wescoat Pound 33 Main St (774) 317-5790
Tuckernuck 23 Centre St
University of Nantucket 14 S Water St (508) 228-4795
Valentina Kova 44 Main St (508) 257-2006
Veronica Beard Nantucket
11 S Water St (508) 556-9936
Vineyard Vines
2 Straight Wharf (508) 325-9600
Jewelry:
Anna P. Jay
5 Washington St (508) 680-3518
Barbara Harris
Water Jewels
14 Centre St (508) 228-0825
Blue Beetle
12 Main St (508) 228-3227
Craftmasters of Nantucket 7 India St (508) 228-0322
Hart 25B Washington St (854) 333-7670
Heidi Weddendorf Jewelry (774) 236-9064
Icarus + C° 19 Old South Wharf
Jessica Hicks 2 Union St
Jewel in the Sea 6 Straight Wharf (508) 228-2448
Jewelers’ Gallery 21 Centre St (508) 228-0229
Joy West Collection 14 South Water St
Lemon & Line 43 Straight Wharf
Melissa Dudley Designs 10 Main St, Sconset (508) 221-9521
Nantucket Estate Jewelry 1 Orange Street (508) 280-1958
Pageo Jewelers - Nantucket 46 Main Street (508) 343-8628
R Simantov 1 Old North Wharf (917) 324-4410
Seaman Schepps 47 Main St (508) 325-5806
Susan Lister Locke Jeweler 28 Easy Street (508) 221-0531
The Love Shack by LOLA 10 Old South Wharf (774) 325-5982
The Vault Nantucket 33 Centre Street (508) 825-6764
Trinity / E. Townsend Watch Collection 50 Main St (508) 220-7557
Water Jewels 14 Centre St. (508) 228-0825
Farm & Market:
Bartlett’s Farm 33 Bartlett Farm Rd (508) 228-9403
Moors End Farm 40 Polpis Rd (508) 228-2674
Pumpkin Pond Farm 25 Millbrook Rd (508) 221-2254
Sconset Market 4 Main Street, Siasconset (508) 257-9915
Sustainable Nantucket 14 Federal St (508) 228-3399
Nantucket Meat & Fish Market 21 Old South Rd (774) 333-5176
167 Raw Nantucket 167 Hummock Pond Rd (508) 228-2871
Pip & Anchor 14 Amelia Dr (508) 413-9940
Download the app for the island’s most complete calendar of events, restaurants, business listings, and things to do.
Island Calendar
Green Crab Survey
5 p.m. The Creeks, 99 Washington St. The Maria Mitchell Association staff lead this green crab survey using hand nets and wading. Free. Register on calendar page of www.mariamitchell.org
Music at the Meeting House
5 p.m. African Meeting House, 27 York St. Nantucket’s own La Tulipe performs a vibrant mix of jazz, gospel, blues, folk and traditional music from the African diaspora. Free.
Missoula Children’s Theater
5:30 p.m. Dreamland Theater, 17 South Water St. The Missoula Children’s Theatre presents “Peter & Wendy.” Tickets at www. nantucketdreamland.org
Sconset Trust Young Members Cocktail Party
6 p.m. Sconset Casino, 10 New St. An evening of cocktails, music, trivia and a wine toss for the young members of the Sconset Trust, Tickets, $145, at www.sconsettrust.org
Green Crab Lecture
6:30 p.m. Atheneum Great Hall, 1 India St. Maria Mitchell Aquarium manager Chelsea Petrik will discuss the impacts of the invasive European green crab on Nantucket’s ecosystem. Free.
“Escape to Margaritaville”
7 p.m. Bennett Hall, 62 Centre St. Theatre Workshop of Nantucket presents the musical review “Escape to Margaritaville,” an homage to the original Parrothead himself, Jimmy Buffett. Through Aug. 22. Visit www. theatrenantucket.org for additional dates, times and tickets.
Live
Music: Cranberry Alarm Clock
7 p.m. Fairgrounds Restaurant, 27 Fairgrounds Road. Nantucket’s favorite Beatles tribute band Cranberry Alarm Clock will perform.
Live Music: St. Lucia
8 p.m. The Muse, 44 Surfside Road. Brooklyn-based Indie-pop band St. Lucia will perform. 21 and over. Second show Saturday. Tickets at www.musenantucket/shows
Stargazing at the Observatory
9:30 p.m. Loines Observatory, 59 Milk St. Join Maria Mitchell Association astronomers for a tour of the night sky, including the moon, planets, star clusters, nebulae and other galaxies. $27 for adults, $17 for children. Register on calendar page of www. mariamitchell.org. Additional sessions Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
Karaoke
10 p.m. The Rose & Crown, 23 South Water St. Channel your inner rock star on The Rose & Crown stage.
DJ Pete
10:30 p.m. Gaslight Nantucket, 3 North Union St. Nantucket’s own DJ Pete Ahern takes over the tables. 21 and over.
Saturday, Aug. 8
Green Crab Derby
Midnight-4 p.m. Help the Maria Mitchell Association and the Nantucket Land and Water Council fight the green crab invasion by collecting invasive green crabs. Collected green crabs must be delivered to the MMA Aquarium at 32 Washington St. between noon and 4 p.m. to be submitted for prizes. Register on calendar page of www.mariamitchell.org
Nantucket Clean Team
8 a.m. Handlebar Café, 15 Washington St., and corner of Fairgrounds and Old South roads. The Nantucket Clean Team meets Saturdays from spring through fall to pick up trash around the island. Pickers and bags provided.
Farmers & Artisans Market
8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Cambridge Street, between North Union and South Water streets. Sustainable Nantucket hosts a market of fresh local produce, island cottage-industry artisans and food. Weather permitting.
Capoeira at the Beach
9 a.m. Children’s Beach, Harborview Way. Kick off your Saturday mornings with an exciting Brazilian martial arts experience that’s fun for all ages. Free.
Milestone Center Site Tour
9 a.m. Meeting spot provided upon registration. Tour the future site of the Nantucket Conservation Foundation’s new home, the Milestone Center, with president and CEO Cormac Collier and NCF staff. Learn about how the center will feature a research and education facility, as well as staff housing, that will strengthen the nonprofit’s ability to protect and steward over 9,000 acres across the island. Register on events page of www.nantucketconservation.org
Sidewalk Art Show
9 a.m. Atheneum garden, 1 India St. The Artists Association of Nantucket will host a sidewalk art show, featuring more than a dozen island artists discussing and selling their work.
(Friday, continued from page 15)
Courtesy of Nantucket Conservation Foundation
The Nantucket Conservation Foundation will host a therapeutic yoga session Sunday. See listing, page 23 for details.
NanPuppets
9:30 a.m. Something Natural, 50 Cliff Road. Lizza Obremski brings her puppet friends for a half hour of education and fun. $10, kids under 1 free. Bring a blanket.
Read to a Buddy
10 a.m. Atheneum gallery, 1 India St. Children 6-12 are invited to bring a book from home or choose one from the library and read to a READ (Reading Education Assistance Dog) therapy dog. Registration required by calling (508) 228-1110, ext. 103.
Storytime with a Princess 10 and 11 a.m. Dreamland Theater, 17 South Water St. Children 4-10 are invited to go backstage, dress up in authentic theatrical costumes and work directly with the Princess and her royal cast to learn their role on stage. Tickets at www.nantucketdreamland.org
Music and Movement
11:45 a.m. Children’s Beach bandstand, Harborview Way. Cory Morgan leads a half hour of song and dance intended for children.
Island Calendar
Live Music: The Queue
Noon, Cisco Brewers, 5 Bartlett Farm Road. Chicago-based indie rock band The Queue will perform.
Missoula Children’s Theater
Noon, Dreamland Theater, 17 South Water St. The Missoula Children’s Theatre presents “Peter & Wendy.” Tickets at www. nantucketdreamland.org
“The Watermelon Woman”
Noon, African Meeting House, 27 York St. Queer History Boston and the Museum of African American History present a screening of “The Watermelon Woman,” marking the 30th anniversary of the first American feature film to be directed by a Black lesbian. Free, but registration encouraged at Eventbrite.com
Bartlett Farm Walking Tour
2 p.m. Saturday and Wednesday, Meet in front of farm market, 33 Bartlett Farm Road. A free, 30-minute behind-the-scenes journey into 200 years of agricultural history on this farm owned by the same family since the early 1800s.
Live Music: Crushville
4 p.m. Cisco Brewers, 5 Bartlett Farm Road. Classic rock and soul band Crushville will perform. Second show 3 p.m. Sunday.
Pops on Nantucket
6 p.m. Jetties Beach, end of Bathing Beach Road. The Boston Pops Esplanade Orchestra returns to Nantucket for its annual concert to benefit Nantucket Cottage Hospital, with guest artists Yächtley Crëw. Sold out.
Jazz Night at the Fairgrounds
8 p.m. Fairgrounds Restaurant, 27 Fairgrounds Road. A rotating cast of island musicians and special guests perform an evening of live jazz.
Karaoke
10 p.m. The Rose & Crown, 23 South Water St. Channel your inner rock star on The Rose & Crown stage.
Live Music: Nate Perry & Ragged Company
10:30 p.m. Gaslight Nantucket, 3 North Water St. Boston-based Americana and altrock band Nate Perry& Ragged Company will perform. 21 and over.
Sunday, Aug. 9
Nantucket Bird Walk
7:45 a.m. 4 Vestal St. Island bird guide and Inquirer and Mirror birding columnist Ginger Andrews leads this exploration of birding landscapes and hidden nooks. Loaner binoculars available. Dress for the weather. $35. Register on calendar page of www. mariamitchell.org
Therapeutic Yoga
9 a.m. Location provided upon registration. Ieva Aldin leads this class that uses mindfully taught yoga postures to stabilize, strengthen, and stretch the body with gentle somatic movements. Register on events page of www.nantucketconservation.org
Toddler Time: Museum Minis
10:30 a.m. Maria Mitchell Association Natural Science Museum, 7 Milk St. An MMA educator will read a nature or science themed book, introduce one of the MMA’s animal friends and finish with an activity related to the story. $15 per child, must be accompanied by an adult. Register on calendar page of www.mariamitchell.org
SUNDAY, PAGE 24
Marine Debris Clean-up
11 a.m.-1 p.m. Maria Mitchell Aquarium, 32 Washington St. Join MMA interns to learn about ocean pollution and clean up Nantucket Harbor.
Marine Story Hour
11:15 a.m. Maria Mitchell Association Aquarium, 32 Washington St. An MMA educator will read a marine science themed book, introduce one of the MMA’s animal friends, and finish up with an activity related to the story. $15 per child. Registration recommended on calendar page of www. mariamitchell.org
Sensational Science
11:30 a.m. Maria Mitchell Association Natural Science Museum, 7 Milk St. Children are invited to take a deep dive into the microscopic world, investigate shark biology, make agar art or collect plankton. Register on calendar page of www.mariamitchell.org
Live Music: The Slips Noon, Cisco Brewers, 5 Bartlett Farm Road. Nantucket’s own The Slips will perform.
Island Calendar
Live Music: Cranberry Alarm Clock
3-6 p.m. Sandbar, end of Bathing Beach Road. Nantucket’s favorite Beatles tribute band, Cranberry Alarm Clock, will perform.
Live Music: The Slips
3 p.m. Cisco Brewers, 5 Bartlett Farm Road. Nantucket’s own The Slips will perform.
Encore Presentation: Nantucket Shorts Festival
4 p.m. Dreamland Theater, 17 South Water St. The Dreamland and NCTV present an encore screening of the 2025 Nantucket Shorts Festival, a juried selection of short films created on Nantucket. Tickets at www. nantucketdreamland.org
Beginner’s Ukulele
5:30 p.m. Nantucket Community Music Center, 56 Centre St. No instrument? No problem. Ukuleles availa5ble. All ages welcome. Free.
Big Screen Bucket List: “The Matrix”
6 p.m. Dreamland Theater, 17 South Water St. The Dreamland screens 1999’s “The Matrix,” starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne and Carrie-Anne Moss, as part of its summer Big Screen Bucket List series.
Live Music
6 p.m. Children’s Beach bandstand, Harborview Way. The Nantucket Office of Culture and Tourism hosts a free outdoor concert. Weather-permitting.
Live Music: Julia Newman
6 p.m. Rose & Crown, 23 South Water St. Nantucket singer-songwriter Julia Newman will perform.
Live Music: The 502s
10 p.m. The Chicken Box, 6 Dave St. Florida’s indie folk band The 502s will perform. Tickets at www.thechickenbox.com. 21 and over.
Live Music: Jamie McLean Band
10:30 p.m. Gaslight Nantucket, 3 North Union St. The Jamie McLean Band, which mixes New Orleans soul, Middle America roots, Delta blues and New York City swagger, will perform. 21 and over.
Monday, Aug. 10
Bike Tour
7:30 a.m. Starting location provided upon registration. Avid cyclist and Nantucket Conservation Foundation trustee Jim Mee-
han leads this tour of the trails and dirt roads of the Middle Moors or Ram Pasture. Space is limited. Helmet and a mountain bike suitable for rough roads is required. Register on events page of www.nantucketconservation.org
En Plein Air
10 a.m. Maria Mitchell Association Outdoor Classroom, 33 Washington St. Artist Nikoline Bohr leads this class that guides participants through the techniques of creating art directly in nature. Intended for adults. $45. Register on calendar page of www.mariamitchell.org
Monday Magic
10 a.m. Children’s Beach bandstand, Harborview Way. Magician, musician and artist Mark Carapezza provides free, family-friendly entertainment and hands-on activities.
Drop-in Craft Gam
1 p.m. 1800 House, 4 Mill St. Have an unfinished chair, basket, beading or stitching project? Bring any project and work in the company of other creative people. Free.
Craig Swallow Meet and Greet
2 p.m. Atheneum Great Hall, 1 India St. Craig Swallow of New Bedford, Democratic primary candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives in the 9th Massachusetts District, will answer questions and discuss issues facing the region. All are welcome.
Outdoor Art
2 p.m. Maria Mitchell Association Classroom, 33 Washington St. Outdoor art invites participants to slow down, observe and connect with the natural world through closeup drawing and artistic exploration. $45. Register on calendar page of www.mariamitchell.org
Live Music: Happy Landing
4 p.m. Cisco Brewers, 5 Bartlett Farm Road. Oxford, Miss.-based folk rock band Happy Landing will perform. Second show 4 p.m. Tuesday.
Kids Fun Run
5:15 p.m. 7 Nobadeer Farm Road. The Nantucket Athletic Association hosts halfmile and one-mile fun runs for kids in eighth grade and younger. Must sign waiver at nantucketathleticassociation.com
Island Calendar
Art Talk
5:30 p.m. Artists Association of Nantucket Cecelia Joyce & Seward Johnson Gallery Courtyard, 8 Federal St. AAN artist-in-residence Douglas David will discuss his creative process and inspiration. Weather-permitting.
Meet the Artists: Beo String Quartet
5:30 p.m. Atheneum Great Hall, 1 India St. A free and informal meet and greet with the Beo String Quartet before their Nantucket Musical Arts Society concert Tuesday. Free.
Live Music: Local Notes
6 p.m. Dreamland Theater, 17 South Water St. Nantucket’s own rock band Local Notes will perform. Tickets at www.nantucketdreamland.org.
Live Music: Jimmy & Band
7:30 p.m. Gaslight Nantucket, 3 North Union St. Jimmy Denny and his backup band will perform.
Live Music: Donavon Frankenreiter
8 p.m. The Chicken Box, 6 Dave St. Singer-songwriter surf rocker Donavon Frankenreiter will perform. Tickets at www. thechickenbox.com. 21 and over.
HOSTETLER GALLERY
Live Music: Yellowcard
10 p.m. The Muse, 44 Surfside Road. Jacksonville, Fla. rock band Yellowcard will perform. 21 and over. Second show Tuesday. Tickets at www.musenantucket.com/shows.
Live Music: Morrissey Blvd.
10:30 p.m. Gaslight Nantucket, 3 North Union St. South Coast-based rock band Morrissey Blvd. will perform. 21 and over.
Tuesday, Aug. 11
Tiny Salts
9 and 10:30 a.m. Jetties Sailing Center, Jetties Beach, end of Bathing Beach Road. Nantucket Community Sailing invites sailors 2 to 4 years old for an hour of songs, education, hands-on maritime activities and sailing. Visit www.nantucketcommunitysailing.org to register or for more information.
Music in the Morning
9:45 a.m. Atheneum garden, 1 India St. Cory Morgan leads a fun-filled morning of rhythm, sound and song for babies and children. Bring a blanket. Weather-permitting.
Little Riders and Lasting Connections
10 a.m. Tuesdays through June 9. The Creeks Reserve, 2 Milestone Road. A stroller walking group for parents and children eight weeks to five years. Meet new people, enjoy the outdoors and support community wellbeing. Call (508) 957-7423 to register.
Tie-Dye at the Beach
10 a.m. Children’s Beach bandstand, Harborview Way. A fun-filled tie-dye session. T-shirts and all materials are included. Free.
Family Connections Tour
10:30 a.m. Nantucket Whaling Museum, 13 Broad St. Museum guides bring the NHA’s 2026 exhibit, “The Wider World and Scrimshaw,” to life with visual and tactile elements. Concludes with a take-home craft activity in the Discovery Room. Free with museum admission. Register on calendar page of www.nha.org
Music in the Morning
10:30 a.m. Atheneum garden, 1 India St. Nantucket favorite Hugh Hanley returns for a morning of songs, finger-plays and singing games. Bring a blanket.
TUESDAY, PAGE 26
(Tuesday, continued from page 25)
NanPuppets
11:30 a.m. Cisco Brewers, 5 Bartlett Farm Road. Lizza Obremski brings her island puppet friends to the brewery. Fun for all ages. Free, but donations welcome.
Community Knit-In
1-3 p.m. Nantucket Island School of Design and the Arts Heifer Barn, 23 Wauwinet Road. NISDA interns Seamus Chandler and Avery Reinhold lead this group of knitters and crocheters working together and learning new techniques. Register at www.nisda. org.
Sing Along With Paul
1:15 p.m. Saltmarsh Senior Center, 81 Washington St. Sing along with Paul Connors, “Songs We Sang When You and I were Young, Maggie.”
Golden Age Films: “Spellbound”
1:30 p.m. The Dreamland will screen 1945’s “Spelllbound,” starring Ingrid Bergman and Gregory Peck. Free for seniors. Tickets at www.nantucketdreamland.org
Adult Metal Detecting
2 p.m. Maria Mitchell Association Aquarium, 32 Washington St. Metal detectorist Nicoline Bohr leads this hands-on introductory course intended for adults interested in exploring the world of metal detecting. $40. Additional session Wednesday. Register on calendar page of www.mariamitchell.org
Main Street Preservation Tour
3 p.m. 11 Centre St. The Nantucket Preservation Trust leads this tour that offers an overview of Nantucket in its heyday and focuses on the portion of Main Street between the Pacific National Bank and the Civil War monument. Learn about the street’s development and the area’s early residents and architectural styles. Register on events page of www.nantucketpreservation.org
Teen Tuesday Crafternoon
4 p.m. Atheneum courtyard, 1 India St. Teens 12-18 are invited to make a tie-dye T-shirt or other cloth item to take home. Weather permitting. Registration required by e-mailing shurd@nantucketatheneum. org
Museum Game Night
5 p.m. Nantucket Shipwreck & Lifesaving Museum, 158 Polpis Road. The Egan Maritime Institute presents an evening of fun, food and games. Watch the sunset over Folger’s Marsh and learn how sailors passed the time during long voyages.
Island Calendar
Brant Point Runners
5:30 p.m. between 36 and 40 Easton St. Brant Point Runners meets weekly at the corner of Easton and North Beach streets until early July, when the route will change, for a friendly but competitive 5K run. All are welcome.
Meditation
6 p.m. Atheneum gallery, 1 India St. A short talk, guided meditation and time for reflection and questions. Registration recommended on calendar page of www.nantucketatheneum.org
Open Arts Night
6:30 p.m. Atheneum Great Hall, 1 India St. The stage and mic are still open for any and all, but the library has added an arts a crafts component so people may feel free to come and work on any kind of art project while listening to the entertainment.
Night Line Dancing
6:45 p.m. Children’s Beach, Harborview Way. An evening of line dancing hosted by Nantucket Culture and Tourism. Bring comfortable dancing shoes. Drop-in.
Classical Music Concert
7 p.m. St. Paul’s Church, 20 Fair St. The Nantucket Musical Arts Society presents The Beo String Quartet in the fifth installment of its summer concert series. Tickets $34 at the door.
Night at the Aquarium
8:30 p.m. Maria Mitchell Aquarium, 32 Washington St. Discover what Nantucket’s fishy friends do when the sun falls below the horizon and the moon fills the sky. $20. Registration required on calendar page of www. mariamitchell.org
Live Music: Guster
8 p.m. The Muse, 44 Surfside Road. Somerville-based alt-rock band Guster will perform. 21 and over. Tickets at musenantucket.com/shows.
Live Music: Ripe
10 p.m. The Chicken Box, 6 Dave St. Funk, alt-rock and pop band Ripe will perform. Tickets at www.thechickenbox.com. Second show Wednesday.
Live Music: Zane Christopher and the Alchemists
10:30 p.m. Gaslight Nantucket, 3 North Union St. New England singer-songwriter Zane Christopher and his backup band The Alchemists will perform. 21 and over. Second show Wednesday.
Wednesday, Aug. 12
Birding Field Trip
7:45 a.m. Linda Loring Nature Foundation, 110 Eel Point Road. Explore Nantucket’s birding hot spots and observe birds in their natural habitat. Binoculars, a spotting scope and field guides available to borrow. Free, but registration required on calendar page of www.llnf.org
Ecologist in Training
9 a.m. Linda Loring Nature Foundation, 110 Eel Point Road. Learn from the Linda Loring Nature Foundation the techniques for sampling fish, shellfish and aquatic insects using methods like seine netting, fish traps and dip nets. Intended audience 15 and up. Register on program page of www.llnf.org.
Tidal Trek
9 a.m. Location provided upon registration. The Nantucket Conservation Foundation’s Coastal Ecology Team leads this tour and discussion of their current research and monitoring efforts on the health of Folger’s Marsh. Register on events page of www.nantucketconservation.org
Wellness Wednesday
9:30 a.m. Children’s Beach bandstand, Harborview Way. Free children’s yoga with Phoebe Strobino that encourages movement and mindfulness in a relaxed outdoor setting.
Crafts in the Courtyard
10 a.m. Atheneum courtyard, 1 India St. Children are invited to make a 3-D paper volcano. Younger children might need adult assistance.
Book-signing: Elin Hilderbrand
11 a.m. Mitchell’s Book Corner, 54 Main St. Best-selling island author Elin Hilderbrand will sign copies of her books. The first 100 people in line will get a ticket. Line starts at 10 a.m. Only books purchased at Mitchell’s and Bookworks can be autographed.
Reader Advice
11 a.m. Nantucket Atheneum, 1 India St. Annye Camara of the Atheneum’s Readers’ Advisory Group will help you find books tailored to your interests.
Little Adventurers’ Book Club
4 p.m. Atheneum learning lab, 1 India St. A book club designed for young readers (third grade and up) of adventure stories, featuring unforgettable journeys, largerthan-life heroes and page-turning suspense. Registration suggested on calendar page of www.nantucketatheneum.org
Live Music: Morrissey Blvd.
4 p.m. Cisco Brewers, 5 Bartlett Farm Road. South Coast rock band Morrissey Blvd. will perform.
Teen Trivia
4:30 p.m. Atheneum gallery, 1 India St. An evening of trivia just for teens. Bring a friend or come alone and test your skills. Snacks.
Author Talk: Nat Philbrick
5:30 p.m. Susan Lister Locke Gallery, 28 Easy St. National Book Award-winning island author Nat Philbrick will discuss his work and sign copies of his books.
Game Night
5:30 p.m. Atheneum Great Hall, 1 India St. Tabletop board and card games, including Mag-ACK The Gathering and drop-in Dungeons and Dragons. Intended for adults and teens. Free.
How to Play Mah Jong
5:30 p.m. Atheneum learning lab, 1 India St. Seasonal resident Laura Brusca will discuss and demonstrate the rules and etiquette of American Mah Jong in the first installment of this four-week class. Registration required on calendar page of www. nantucketatheneum.org
Knitting Group
6:30 p.m. Atheneum first floor, 1 India St. Curious about learning how to knit? The Atheneum’s veteran knitters can get you started. Stymied by a challenge in your project? The group can help with that. Free. Drop-ins welcome.
Film for Thought: “Mary Oliver, Saved by the Beauty of the World”
7 p.m. Dreamland Theater, 17 South Water St. The Inquirer and Mirror and the Dreamland present the 2026 documentary “Mary Oliver, Saved by the Beauty of the World,” as part of their Film for Thought” weekly film series. Tickets at www.nantucketdreamland.org
Art Talk: An Unlikely Friendship
8 p.m. Nantucket Island School of Design and the Arts, 23 Wauwinet Road. Photographer Beverly Hall will show and discuss “Fred Rogers and Madaket Millie, A Life in Photography, 1960s to the present. Free.
Trivia Night
8 p.m. The Rose & Crown, 23 South Water St. Test your general trivial knowledge. First place wins a $50 gift card.
Celestial Stakeout
11 p.m. Loines Observatory, 59 Milk St. The professional astronomers of the Maria Mitchell Association invite the community to observe the peak of the Perseid meteor shower. Dress appropriately for evening weather. Weather-permitting. $27. Register on calendar page of www.mariamitchell.org
Thursday, Aug. 13
Rock & Royals
8:30 a.m.-8:30 p.m. Thomas Macy Warehouse, upstairs at 12 Straight Wharf. Nantucket Community Sailing, as part of 2026 Race Week, hosts “Rock & Royals” an exhibition of art made from historic sails by Kos Evans. Free.
Mini Movers
11 a.m. Hinchman House Natural Science Museum, 7 Milk St. Young children and their caregivers are invited to wiggle, dance and explore the animal kingdom through movement, music and hands-on discovery. $15. Additional session Saturday. Registration recommended on calendar page of www. mariamitchell.org. Additional session Tuesday.
Island Calendar
Noonday Concert: Carson Cooman
Noon, Unitarian Meeting House, 11 Orange St. Carson Cooman will play a selection of pieces on the church’s historic pipe organ. Free but donations welcome.
Community Knit-In
1-3 p.m. Nantucket Island School of Design and the Arts Heifer Barn, 23 Wauwinet Road. NISDA interns Seamus Chandler and Avery Reinhold lead this group of knitters and crocheters working together and learning new techniques. Register at www.nisda. org.
Old Salts Sailing
1 p.m. Jetties Sailing Center, Jetties Beach, end of Bathing Beach Road. Nantucket Community Sailing offers free access to sailing for seniors 55 and over. Register at www.nantucketcommunitysailing.org
Kids Metal Detecting 101
2 p.m. Maria Mitchell Aquarium, 2 p.m. Metal detectorist Nikoline Bohr leads this hands-on adventure just for kids. Learn the basics of metal detecting while searching for treasure on the beach. $30. Registration required on calendar page of www.mariamitchell.org. Additional session Tuesday.
Read to a Buddy
2 p.m. Atheneum gallery, 1 India St. Children 6-12 are invited to bring a book from home or choose one from the library and read to a READ (Reading Education Assistance Dog) therapy dog. Registration required by calling (508) 228-1110, ext. 103.
Rye Country Day Reception
4-7 p.m. Location provided upon RSVP. Stacey Sotirhos, interim head of school at Rye Country Day, invites alumni, parents, students and friends for an evening of summer fun. RSVP to ryan_fagnoli@ryecountryday.org or (914) 925-4554.
Live Music: Badfish
4:30 p.m. Cisco Brewers, 5 Bartlett Farm Road. Sublime tribute band Badfish will perform.
Art Reception: AAN
5 p.m. Cecelia Joyce & Seward Johnson Gallery, 8 Federal St. The Artists Association of Nantucket will host a reception for its Eye of the Beholder Hale Juried Exhibition, on display through Aug. 18.
ter St. The Dreamland will screen the 2022 documentary “The Talented Mr. Rosenberg,” about con artist albert Rosenberg. Followed by a Q&A with director Barry Avrich.
Owl Prowl
8 p.m. Maria Mitchell Association, 4 Vestal St. MMA field ornithologist and I&M columnist Ginger Andrews leads this search for owls and other nocturnal animals and birds. Intended for adults and children 8 and up. $30. Registration required on calendar page of www.mariamitchell.org
Live Music: The Beat Drops
10 p.m. The Chicken Box, 6 Dave St. Boston party band The Beat Drops will perform. Additional shows Friday and Saturday.
Live Music: Quinn XCII
10 p.m. The Muse, 44 Surfside Road. Michigan-based singer-songwriter Quinn XCII will perform. 21 and over. Second show Friday. Tickets at www.musenantucket. com/shows.
“The Talented Mr. Rosenberg”
7 p.m. Dreamland Theater, 17 South Wa-
Cellar: Zinfindel, America’s own wild, woolly and wonderful grape
(Continued from page 13)
American records cannot even agree on how to spell it: Zinfendal, Zinfindal, Zenfendel, with a different rendering in nearly every nurseryman’s catalog.
The most American of grapes arrived, fittingly, as an immigrant whose papers were a mess.
For a while, it lived a genteel life. Around 1830, Gibbs carried his vines to Boston, and within a few years the city’s leading nurseryman, Charles Hovey, was praising “Zinfindal” as a table grape, prized for ripening under glass as early as June, a luxury fruit for well-to-do New England households.
The first record of anyone actually making wine from it does not appear until 1847. As far as the East Coast was concerned, this was a hothouse novelty rather than a serious vine, and when fashion turned to hardier outdoor grapes like the Concord, Zinfandel’s brief Boston celebrity began to fade.
The last leg was carried by a sea captain. Frederick Macondray, a Massachusetts mariner and a fixture of Boston’s horticultural circle who had grown the grape back east, packed cuttings aboard ship and sailed them to California in the early 1850s, just as the territory was turning itself upside down in the search for gold.
He could not have known what he was unleashing. In the warm valleys waiting on the far coast, this confused, mislabeled, twice-transplanted immigrant grape was about to find the one place on Earth that would make it famous.
California’s adopted child
The grape that had baffled East Coast botanists was found in the warm valleys north and east of San Francisco, where conditions were close to paradise.
It ripened generously, yielded heavily and produced a hearty red that the miners and immigrants pouring into Gold Rush California could afford, and because it could be head-trained without trellises, it needed none of the timber and wire that were so scarce in those frantic early years.
By the late 1800s, it was the most widely planted grape in California, the backbone of the young state’s entire wine industry, set out in great mixed “field blends” alongside Petite Sirah, Carignan and a dozen other varieties, all picked and fermented together. Then it survived the one thing that should have killed it. Prohibition closed the wineries but it left a loophole: a household could legally make a few hundred gallons of wine a year.
Zinfandel – thick-skinned, durable, able to ride a railcar across the country without falling apart – became the grape of choice for
home winemakers from Chicago to Brooklyn.
The old vineyards were spared the axe because, suddenly, there was a national market for the grapes themselves.
Many of those gnarled, head-trained old vines are still standing today, some well over a century old, and they are a genuine American treasure. There is nothing quite like them anywhere else on earth.
The grape’s next brush with death came in the 1960s and 1970s, when fashion turned to Cabernet and Chardonnay and those an-
the serious revival to arrive.
And arrive it did. A generation of true believers set out to prove that Zinfandel could be one of the world’s great reds, not merely one of its most cheerful.
Paul Draper at Ridge Vineyards made the case most eloquently, with Geyserville and Lytton Springs: old-vine Sonoma field blends of such depth and longevity that they sit comfortably alongside fine Bordeaux.
Joel Peterson built Ravenswood on the unofficial motto “no wimpy wines.” Larry Turley walked away from medicine to chase old-vine Zinfandel across the state. Between them, they completed the rescue that a glass of pink wine had started.
A grape of place
Zinfandel is a grape of place, which is the very lesson it taught me in Florida in 1983. A handful of California regions speak it most fluently.
Dry Creek Valley in Sonoma is the heartland and benchmark, where Zinfandel achieves its finest balance of bramble fruit, black pepper and structure.
Look to Ridge’s Lytton Springs – age-worthy, profound, built to last 15 years or more – and to A. Rafanelli, a beloved family estate whose Zinfandel is the drink-now embodiment of Dry Creek charm.
Lodi, inland in the Central Valley, is oldvine country: deep, sandy soils that phylloxera never cracked, some of the oldest Zinfandel vines on the planet and wines of sweet, sun-warmed generosity.
Turley bottles several single-vineyard Lodi Zins worth seeking out. For everyday joy, almost anything labeled “Lodi Old Vine” delivers.
The Sierra Foothills – Amador County, the Shenandoah Valley, Fiddletown – yield a rugged, high-toned, brambly style from old-gold-country vines, while Paso Robles, warmer still, turns out lush, exuberant, crowd-pleasing Zin in abundance.
cient Zinfandel vineyards were suddenly worth more as building lots than as wine. They were improbably saved by a happy accident. In the early 1970s, Bob Trinchero at Sutter Home was bleeding pink juice off his dry red Zinfandel to concentrate it.
A stuck fermentation left that pink wine slightly sweet and “White Zinfandel” was born.
America drank an ocean of it. The connoisseurs sneered – and still do – but that blush wine, more than any critic or collector, kept the old vines in the ground long enough for
And then there is Mendocino, the county where this whole story began for me. The single-vineyard Fetzer Zinfandels I tasted that afternoon came from Mendocino’s old benchland sites: vineyard names like Ricetti and Lolonis, some planted before 1950 on the crimson soils of Redwood Valley.
Barney Fetzer bought his ranch in 1958 and began bottling under his own name a decade later. By the early 1980s, those vineyard-designated Zinfandels were among the best values in America. They were also, for one young club manager, the bottles that opened the door.
How long to wait
Courtesy of Peter McEachern
Bare Winter grape vines in a blue fog in Lodi, Calif.
Be honest about what most Zinfandel is for: pleasure, now. The great majority of it – the Lodi bottlings, the Paso reds, the cheerful Dry Creek charmers – is at its delicious best in its first five to seven years, when the fruit is bright and the wine is bursting. But do not mistake the grape for a simpleton. The serious old-vine bottlings, Ridge above all, have the structure and concentration to age for 15 or 20 years, slowly trading exuberant fruit for something darker, more savory and more complex. If a merchant ever offers you a Ridge Geyserville with a decade on it, say yes.
Drink it with
No grape on Earth is a better dinner-table democrat. Zinfandel was built for American food in its most generous moods: baby back ribs, pulled pork, a char-grilled burger, a pepperoni pizza and grilled sausages with a little smoke on them. Its sweet, brambly fruit is the one red that genuinely loves barbecue sauce rather than merely tolerating it.
And it is, to my mind, the finest of all wines for Thanksgiving: generous enough for the turkey, spicy enough for the stuffing and forgiving enough to survive a table where everyone is talking at once. This is not a wine that demands a special occasion. It makes an ordinary Tuesday feel like one.
A final word
Zinfandel spent a century as the all-American grape with a secret past, and it took a DNA test and nine half-forgotten vines on a Croatian hillside to reclaim its history.
I find that fitting, because the grape did something very similar for me twice. Before that afternoon in 1983, I thought I knew what wine was: three colors, end of story.
A flight of Fetzer’s single-vineyard Zinfandels taught me, in the space of an hour, that I knew nothing at all, and that not-knowing turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to my palate.
But I will confess something to this table: I wandered years in the wilderness of Cabernet and polite Pinot Noir, telling myself I was happy.
Then one evening Bobby Constable turned up with a bottle of Turley under his arm, the way only Bobby can – as if he were delivering not a bottle of wine but a verdict from the race committee, final and not subject to protest – and with the first glass I became, once again, the prodigal son of Zinfandel.
There it all was: the bramble, the black pepper, the sun-warmed generosity of the old vines Larry Turley had left to medicine to rescue: the very taste those Fetzer bottles from Mendocino’s benchlands had shown me 40 years before.
The grape that made me a wine lover welcomed me home and never once asked where I’d been.
Every great obsession needs an origin story. The best ones get a homecoming, too. This grape has given me both. Pour yourself a real one – an old-vine bottling from a named vineyard, not a blush from a box – and it may well be the start, or the glorious return, of yours.
Next Thursday, Aug. 13: Sangiovese, the soul of Italy, from a humble weeknight Chianti to the towering majesty of Brunello. A thousand years of wine in a single grape. Don’t miss it.
Peter McEachern is the general manager of the Nantucket Yacht Club. He has been buying wine, creating wine lists and running wine tastings since 1983. He can be reached at peter@nantucketyachtclub.org
MusACK: Happiest band in the world
(Continued from page 9)
It’s a perspective that also informs Isola’s response to critics who dismiss upbeat music as somehow less meaningful.
“I understand the perspective of optimism being considered naive. I just don’t agree with it. We aren’t oblivious to the realities of life,” he said.
“A lot of our lyrics deal with what-ifs, potential loss, wasted opportunities and difficulty being present in the current moment, ultimately framed in a way that acknowledges those things and chooses to celebrate life and its uncertainties instead of (being) afraid of them.”
For The 502s, the goal isn’t simply for the audience to leave with some catchy melodies stuck in their heads. If someone arrives carrying the weight of a terrible week, Isola knows exactly what he hopes they take
home with them.
“A sweaty shirt and a big old smile,” he said. “And a sense that they matter and things will be alright.”
And for Isola, that distinction captures what the band has learned over the years.
“Happiness can be a very momentary emotion,” he said. “But living with hope makes happiness – fulfillment – a way of being that’s able to withstand all of the highs and the lows.”
In a cultural moment often defined by cynicism, that might be the most radical thing The 502s have to offer.
The 502s perform Sunday, Aug. 9 at The Chicken Box, 16 Dave St., with doors open at 7 p.m. Presale tickets are $64.36 online at thechickenbox.com, with general admission tickets available on the day of the show. 21 and over.
RYE COUNTRY DAY SCHOOL
Please join Interim Head of School Dr. Stacey Sotirhos P’26, P’27 for an evening of summer fun on Nantucket!
Alumni, Current Parents, Students, Parents of Alumni, Grandparents, and Friends are all welcome to attend.
Hosted by Cherie & Damian Schaible P’28, P’30
Thursday, August 13, 2026 4:00 - 7:00 p.m.
Address provided upon RSVP
RSVP to ryan_fargnoli@ryecountryday.org or (914) 925- 4554
Did someone order a spectacular harbor view? Visit the newly renovated Brant Point Grill Deck at White Elephant, where the menu is rivaled only by the sunset over Nantucket Harbor. Enjoy al fresco dining in our fresh new outdoor bar and deck space, where our chefs use local flavors to prepare lobster, grilled steaks and signature New England dishes.
ReserveToday
or call
Eat: Island Blend a taste of the Mediterranean and South Asia
(Continued from page 4D)
“We wanted to add on to the restaurant scene of Nantucket,” Basnet told me. “We didn’t want to add something that’s already there. We felt like good, authentic Mediterranean was missing.”
An ambitious goal on an island with an abundance of restaurants in all different shapes, sizes and styles. There’s certainly no shortage of burgers, seafood towers or upscale New American fare.
But if you’re craving a freshly-carved gyro, a platter of charcoal-grilled shish or homemade hummus with warm pita, your options are surprisingly limited.
Island Blend fills that gap.
The restaurant itself reflects that philosophy. It’s casual, bright and comfortable without trying too hard. Turkish mosaic lamps cast warm light throughout the dining room while green leather booths and marble accents subtly reinforce the Mediterranean inspiration. It’s the kind of place designed just as comfortably for a quick weekday lunch as it is for lingering over dinner with friends.
Basnet noticed early that Island Blend’s mid-island location attracted a different crowd than his downtown restaurant.
“A good amount of our guests are people who are working,” he said. “They want something quick, so a buffet was a good solution for them.”
That’s one reason he recently introduced an Indian and Chinese lunch buffet, available daily from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., offering a quick, filling meal for workers who don’t always have the luxury of a long lunch break.
“We wanted to be reasonable,” Basnet said. “We wanted to feed a lot of people.”
That same practicality extends to the menu, which is surprisingly expansive and offers something for everyone from authentic Mediterranean to the more American hand-held sandwiches and (of course) Basnet had to keep the pizza, a hold-over from Shangri-La’s predecessor, Foood for Here and There.
Our meal began with homemade hummus and warm grilled pita. The pita is thin but perfectly soft and fluffy, lightly toasted and still steaming from the grill. On its own, it would have been worth ordering.
Paired with the thick, tahini-forward hummus, I couldn’t stop myself from scooping it straight off the plate, even after the pita had long gone.
The stuffed grape leaves followed, offering a pleasant contrast. Do not be fooled by their appearance! Most people will look at the olive green leaves and think, is this really edible? Answer: it is and it’s delicious.
Grape leaves have always been one of my favorite Mediterranean snacks and the Island Blend version did not disappoint. Bright with a subtle vinegary tang but hearty enough to satisfy, they struck a bal-
ance between freshness and comfort that Mediterranean food often does so well.
If you’re visiting for the first time, I’d steer you toward the mixed grill.
Loaded with chicken shish, lamb shish, chef’s special wings, Mediterranean salad, rice and tzatziki, it’s less of an entrée and more of an introduction to the kitchen.
The chicken was remarkably tender with a gentle warmth reminiscent of a lightly sea-
notes that reminded me of cinnamon and nutmeg, while the crisp Greek salad offered enough peppery bite to keep the platter from ever feeling too rich.
Basnet describes the menu as “homecooked cuisine from a small village of Turkey,” built around slow cooking, long marinades and generous use of herbs and spices.
“We even marinate many of our vegetables,” he said. “We use a lot of spices and herbs.”
Even expanding the menu has been intentionally slow, allowing the kitchen time to perfect each addition before introducing another.
That philosophy is exactly why the goat taas felt so special.
It’s not officially one of the restaurant’s signature menu items yet. Instead, Basnet offered it as a preview of where Island Blend is headed as it gradually introduces more Nepalese cuisine. For many diners, it may be their first taste of food from Nepal. For Basnet, it’s food from home.
And for Nantucket, it’s something entirely new.
Island Blend is asking diners to try something they may have never heard of, trusting that good food will do the convincing. Introducing new flavors is only part of the goal. Maintaining his connection and commitment to the community matters just as much.
Throughout our conversation, he spoke as passionately about the people walking through Island Blend’s doors as he did the food coming out of the kitchen. That’s part of why the restaurant has leaned into affordable lunch options for year-round workers, but it extends well beyond the menu.
“If the community needs us, we are always there,” Basnet said. “Let’s say a food bank needs food or anything. If we have to feed anyone, we’ll feed. We are not here just to make money.”
He hopes Island Blend becomes the kind of place local organizations think of when they need help, whether that’s donating food, supporting a fundraiser or simply making sure someone doesn’t go hungry.
soned tikka. The lamb carried just enough char from the grill to deepen its flavor without overwhelming it.
My favorite surprise, however, may have been the wings. Their skin was smoky and crisp, the meat practically falling off the bone with just a hint of spice lingering after each bite.
Even the supporting players held their own. The rice carried warm baking spice
“If somebody walks in and they cannot buy food, we’ll buy for them happily,” he said. “If somebody wants to do a fundraiser or charity event, we want to be there. We want the community to reach out to us, and we want to give back to the community.”
Island Blend isn’t trying to reinvent Nantucket’s dining scene overnight. It’s simply expanding it, introducing diners to flavors they’ve likely never experienced here before while putting down roots in the community it hopes to serve for years to come. Sometimes that’s exactly what a restaurant should do.
Island Blend, 149 Orange St., (774) 3255395, www.theislandblendnantucket.com
Photo by Francesca Giangiulio
Homemade hummus and warm grilled pita.
Walk: Miacomet Woods and a trail never before explored
(Continued from page 6)
and soft state. This impressive symbiosis of fungal cells and algal cells clings to the branches of pitch pines, dripping on me as I pass underneath. Each drop carries propagules called soredia, which can grow into new patches of lichen and coat entire bare branches in soft green tangles.
Dodging low branches and tangled edges, the trail spits me out onto Miacomet Road. I take a left on the road and gaze over the pond, watching deer feed in the field across the way.
Near the road edge I see a fresh rub on the side of a pitch pine left by a buck trying to rub the velvet off its hardened antlers, a sure sign that autumn is approaching.
A quarter of a mile down the road is the entrance to Miacomet Woods, another wide loop trail through the pitch pine woodland. Halfway through the trail I come to a standoff with a large doe.
Unlike many of the antlerless deer I have seen lately, she does not have two spotted fawns in tow. I simply interrupted her quiet solo evening graze through the woods.
I greet her calmly and she stays still for a few moments before sauntering into the thickets to find another peaceful spot.
I round the enclosed loop of the trail and feel satisfied that I have enough light to nav-
igate my way back. In my silent calculation I am startled by a Cooper’s hawk which flies across my path and perches on a nearby branch.
The blocky head of this forest-dwelling hawk is silhouetted against the fading light and cloudy sky. The sight makes me grateful for even a fleeting moment of daylight in
which to explore more of this beautiful island. Neil Foley is the interpretive education coordinator and ecologist at the Nantucket Conservation Foundation.
Photo by Neil Foley
Black cherries starting to ripen on the tree.
