Through April 26. Five kid-friendly riddles guide families to Nantucket Conservation Foundation properties around the island. Take a picture at the sign at each location, send it in and receive a prize. Register on events page of www.nantucketconservation.org
Spring Break Discovery Camp
9 a.m.-2 p.m. Hinchman House Natural Science Museum, 7 Milk St. Students in kindergarten to fifth grade are invited to uncover the hidden connections within local habitats. $300 for full week or $60 per session. Register on calendar page of www. mariamitchell.org
Indoor Walking
9:30 a.m. Nantucket Boys & Girls Club, 61 Sparks Ave. Seniors are invited to join this indoor walking club for fun and physical fitness. Drop-ins welcome.
Toddler Story Time
9:30 a.m. Atheneum gallery, 1 India St. Short stories, finger-plays and songs designed to foster literacy skills in children up to 3 years old. Space is limited.
Island Calendar April 23-30
Spring Workshop: Daffy Hats and Spring Wreaths
10 a.m.-3 p.m. Thursday and Friday, Bartlett’s Ocean View Farm, 33 Bartlett Farm Road. Kick off spring with a hands-on do-it-yourself project. Register on calendar page of www.bartlettsfarm.com
Spring Discovery Days
10 a.m.-noon through Friday, Nantucket Whaling Museum, 13 Broad St. The Nantucket Historical Association offers a different craft each day inspired by its new exhibit The Wider World and Scrimshaw. Free with museum admission.
Preschool Story Time
10:30 a.m. Atheneum gallery, 1 India St. A 30-minute story time featuring new and classic stories, finger-plays and songs.
Tech Tips for iPhone Users
10:30 a.m. Saltmarsh Senior Center, 81 Washington St. Janie Hobson-Dupont teaches seniors how to use their iPhones, offering tips and tricks to make your phone experience easier and smoother. Call (508) 228-4490 to register.
CALENDAR, PAGE 15
File photo
Main Street will be awash in daffodils and festive spring attire this weekend.
After breakout year, Steve Rondo charts what comes next
By Kendall Graham kgraham@inkym.com
New England-based musician Steve Rondo released his debut album “The Rudys” nearly a year ago, in May 2025, and after a stretch of momentum, he’s beginning a new phase of his career.
“The past few months have been more of a planning time and taking a rest before my year gets really crazy,” Rondo said this week.
Following shows at Brighton Music Hall in Boston and stops in New York, the album’s release brought both anticipation and pressure.
“There was just a lot of anticipation where, you know, the album’s finally come out, and there’s a lot of work (to do),” Rondo said. “So what I’ve been doing this year is kind of figuring out what I wanted to accomplish.”
That work has largely involved writing for the next album and mapping out a more ambitious summer tour that expands beyond the New England circuit where Rondo and his band have built a loyal following.
Rondo’s music often draws from his own life, particularly his 20s: a period spent balancing a corporate job with his creative ambitions. Now in his early 30s and pursuing
music full-time, he finds himself reflecting on that transition.
“That’s a huge change in identity,” Rondo said.
“(It was) something I did for nine years that I’m no longer doing, and figuring out who I am as a person and what I want to do for the rest of my life, it’s an exciting and kind of nerve-wracking chapter to be all-in on music at the moment.”
Rondo will bring that perspective to the island Daffodil Weekend, performing at Cisco Brewers Saturday and Sunday afternoons, and at The Gaslight Sunday evening.
Not long ago, he moved to Nahant, a beach town on the North Shore, where his days now revolve around surfing, walking the beach with his dog, writing music and spending time with his fiancée as they prepare for their wedding in the fall.
“I think my life has gotten just a little bit smaller in really lovely ways,” Rondo said.
“We’re not going out on crazy weekends anymore. I’m pretty locked in on music
MUSACK, PAGE 22
After releasing his debut album “The Rudys” last year, Steve Rondo has been mining the next chapter of his life for new music.
Photo by Stu Horne
Steve Rondo will perform at Cisco Brewers and the Gaslight over Daffodil Weekend.
Courtesy of Steve Rondo
MusACK
Quick and easy Daffodil Festival tailgate treats
By Susan Nestor Levy I&M Columnist
The hues of stalk green, petal yellow and trumpet orange color our island in spring, taking center stage at the 50th anniversary of the Nantucket Daffodil Festival held this weekend.
Two recipes match the weekend color palette, a simple broccoli soup to serve cold or warm, and a pesto dip made with freshpicked basil and ground pistachios.
Whip up both simple recipes for perfect slurps and bites at your Sconset tailgate.
Combine broccoli florets, butter, onions and broth to create a soup deliciously bursting with fresh flavor. I served it in an orange-tinted shot glass, garnished with a tiny roasted broccoli floret.
The chilled soup was a treat for both taste buds and eyes. Warm the soup up for lunch on one of our cooler, rainy days.
Quickly assemble the dip by using storebought pesto. Try my favorite basil pistachio pesto recipe if you are in the mood for a bit
of extra effort and have fresh basil on hand.
Any type of pesto works well to add the punch of flavors to finish the dish. Simply combine the pesto with cream cheese and sour cream to create a zesty dip for crackers, vegetables or sturdy chips.
Pistachios found their way to the White House to finish the 2024 state dinner honoring the president of Japan and his wife, Kishida Fumio and Kishida Yuko.
The menu for the April evening started with a house-cured smoked salmon, red grapefruit, avocado and cucumber dish.
The main course was a dry-aged ribeye of
beef in a puddle of sesame sabayon sauce. Salted caramel pistachio cake, under a layer of matcha ganache was brightened with, of course, a dollop of cherry ice cream.
In 1912, Japan gave the glorious cherry trees (3,020 trees of 12 varieties) that grace the nation’s capital each spring. The Japanese president’s gift to the Bidens during the 2024 visit was 250 more Yoshino cherry trees to replace damaged trees.
Paul Simon entertained the 200 guests, including Olympic figure skater Kristi Yamaguchi along with titans of business and political leaders.
File photo
Nantucket’s Daffodil Festival Sconset tailgate picnics spare no effort in putting out lavish, colorful and delicious spreads each year.
Nantucket Home Chefs
Daffy Broccoli Florets Soup Shots
2 bunches broccoli, trimmed to florets with small amounts of stems, sliced vertically for good surface cooking
1 medium onion, sliced
3 tablespoons butter
2 whole garlic cloves, peeled Salt to taste
2 tablespoons soft herbed cheese like Rondelé
1 slice cheddar cheese
2 cups fresh turkey stock (I had mine in the freezer from the holidays, but feel free to substitute store-bought turkey, vegetable or chicken broth)
1. Sauté the onions in butter until transparent and sweet, but do not brown. Add garlic cloves until fragrant.
2. Sauté broccoli with the onions.
3. Cook until broccoli begins to soften, then remove one cup of cooked broccoli florets for garnish.
4. Add turkey stock to the remaining broccoli/onion mix and simmer until broccoli stems are tender, 20 minutes or so. Remove garlic cloves before blending.
5. Blend the broccoli/onion mix in a food processor, return to the pot, add cheeses and mix thoroughly.
6. Serve hot or cold with a garnish of reserved, cooked broccoli florets. For color, serve cold in a colored shot glass or drizzle with an orange oil like chili oil (optional).
Note: The soup is great served warm with
a side of crunchy bread. I roasted a few broccoli florets, drizzled with olive oil in a 350 F. oven until browning around the edges, for garnishing, but this is an optional step.
Pistachio-Pesto Veggie Dip
Pesto:
1/4 cup ground pistachios
2 cups lightly packed fresh basil
2 garlic cloves
1 cup olive oil
Dip:
8 ounces full-fat cream cheese, softened
3/4 cup full-fat sour cream
3 tablespoons pistachio pesto
1. Combine garlic, pistachios and basil in a food processor, blend to desired consistency.
2. Add olive oil and blend well.
3. In a separate bowl, combine cream cheese and sour cream. I like to leave a few chunks of cream cheese.
4. Fold in pesto to create ribbons of pesto throughout.
To serve:
• Assorted vegetables to dip: carrot and celery batons, red, orange and green pepper strips.
• Vegetable rounds to place a dollop of dip on for bite-size servings: summer squash, zucchini, cucumbers.
• If you want to get fancy, cook small red potatoes, hollow out an opening on top, chill, fill with dip and sprinkle tops with paprika.
Photo by Susan Nestor Levy
Daffy broccoli florets soup shots are equally good hot or cold.
Spring fling in Sconset: The calm before the season
By Neil Foley I&M Columnist
Do you ever look too long at a flower bud wondering how beautiful the bloom inside will be?
There is so much potential for this little growth to unfurl in color and splendor. The summer season too is tightly bound inside a swelling bud of inflorescence and new growth. Before the official start of the season, let us journey to Sconset village and appreciate the calm before the party.
The drive down Milestone Road is a gorgeous one this time of year. The roadsides are alight with shades of yellow, orange and white as the full diversity of daffodil types are on display.
They shine along the Serengeti. They teem around the turn for Tom Nevers. They glow above the golf course, illuminating the hill where the clubhouse stands.
I park on Milestone Road at the pull-off for the water tower and look up. On a small lip
of concrete just below the tank, you can see the Sconset common ravens. This small but mighty group started nesting here in 2020 and are vocal while foraging across the island.
One of the pair takes flight and flies by me, showing off its massive beak and impressive wingspan. The raven lets loose a strong and guttural “Quark!” as it takes off south.
The Sconset Trust’s triangle at the village entrance is radiant with daffodils in bloom standing ready for the Daffy crowds, the picnic setups and the antique cars.
But the village is pretty silent on a sunny afternoon, the only noise some sparse hammering of new shingles onto old structures.
A couple landscaping crews rake lawns and clean up garden beds, but it is nothing like the busy hive of activity that it will soon become.
Photo by Neil Foley
A common raven in flight from the Sconset water tower.
Photo by Neil Foley
The Sconset Trust’s triangle property at the entrance to the village flush with daffodils.
Walk with Neil
Liaquat Ahamed
Belle Burden
Shannon Garvey
Pamela Kelley
Lois Romano
Jamie Siminoff
Laura Zigman
Dr. Joshua Bennett
Jenna Bush Hager
Julie Gerstenblatt
Kyleigh Leddy
Richard Russo
James Sulzer
Nicholas Boggs
Juliet Faithfull
Alice Hoffman
Norah O’Donnell
Patrick Ryan
Adriana Trigiani
Julian Brave NoiseCat
Mitchell Jackson
Ann Patchett
Julian Sancton
Rick Tulsky
Emma Brodie
Angela Flournoy
Marlon James
Vanessa Riley
Ruta Sepetys
John Vaillant
Tayari Jones
The English sparkling wine revolution
By Peter McEachern I&M Columnist
I spent last spring traveling through southern England’s wine country, and what I discovered there continues to change my perspective on English sparkling wine.
This isn’t some emerging curiosity anymore. English sparkling wine has arrived, and the science behind its success is a fascinating story to tell.
The geological foundation
The story begins 90 million years ago, when chalk deposits accumulated on cretaceous seabeds that would become today’s northern France and southern England.
Last spring, standing on the South Downs, looking out over vineyard after vineyard planted on brilliant white, chalk-laden soils, I realized I was looking at the same geological formation – the Newhaven Chalk – that extends under the English Channel and defines Champagne’s terroir.
The chalk’s structure provides powerful capillary action, drawing water through its porous matrix while maintaining excellent
drainage: a critical dual characteristic for viticulture.
This calcium carbonate-rich substrate, composed of ancient marine microorganisms and shell deposits, delivers three essential benefits: consistent water regulation during the dry summer months, a natural pH balance and mineral uptake that contributes to wine finesse and structure.
But chalk is only part of England’s geological story. As I drove through Hampshire, Sussex and Kent, I kept hearing about this distinctive green-gray soil: greensand, a sandstone rich in minerals and potassium that forms when chalk erodes.
This stuff (which turns white-beige with age) accumulated during the early cretaceous period and is equally hospitable to premium viticulture, offering excellent drainage and high mineral content.
You’ll also find limestone, clay and sandy soils across the region, each contributing distinct characteristics to the finished wines.
Courtesy of Peter McEachern
The Nyetimber vineyards in the rural heart of southern England.
Alex Wallace Photography English sparkling wine from Gusbourne.
Wine Cellar CELLAR, PAGE 18
Deciphering the seasons: “A Calendar of Nature’s Clues”
By Shannon Ross Contributing Writer
It’s a simple question to ask someone, “What do you see?”
But in the case of observing the natural world, many of us lack the lexicon and the understanding to describe what we see, and more importantly, to explain why we see it.
In his book “The Hidden Seasons: A Calendar of Nature’s Clues,” author Tristan Gooley teaches us how to understand the observable natural world and its seasonal timing.
Gooley is an adventurer and navigator who uses close observation of nature to navigate his journeys. He is also an accomplished teacher and a fellow of both the Royal Institute of Navigation and the Royal Geographical Society.
He has shared his work through books such as “The Lost Art of Reading Nature’s Signs” (2015) and “How to Read Water” (2016).
In his newest release, Gooley expands beyond navigation and teaches readers where, and how, to look. Unlike traditional navigation, which often focuses on a single moment (a tree, a path, a river), Gooley broadens our perspective to include the changing seasons.
He shows how the forces behind these seasonal shifts can be recognized in a single moment. In the book’s introduction, Gooley walks through southeastern England in search of timekeeping, climbing 85 stone steps to visit one of Britain’s oldest turret clocks.
When he returns to the world below, he notices early daffodil blooms, the call of a songbird and budding trees, all telltale signs of spring.
He realizes through all his work as a navigator, he has been “half blind” to the deeper forces behind these observations and resolves to understand the “timekeeper” behind nature’s signs.
With that theme in mind, Gooley introduces microseasons, guiding readers through UK landscapes with personal stories and practical lessons shaped by daylight, weather and temperature.
Gooley is a transporting writer, and reading through the different months of this book feels like walking alongside a gifted teacher.
In a section titled “Water, Place and Time,” he describes spotting an orange-tip butterfly along a path: “All butterflies give us clues to season, weather, direction and habitat. They make maps of moments as well as places.”
He notes that butterflies often favor moist
Good Reads
habitats, suggesting nearby water. Watching the butterfly move between soft pink four-petaled cuckoo flowers, he recalls that the cuckoo flower is named for its alignment with the spring return of the cuckoo bird to the UK.
“I met this happy triangle of signs on a walk toward the River Clyde in Scotland last spring: birdsong, wildflowers and water made a calendar and a map.”
Here, Gooley demonstrates how multiple observations can reinforce one another and provide a richer understanding of place and time.
A main idea threaded throughout the seasons in the book is the distinction between “rapid” and “slow” populations.
Rapid populations, insects being an exemplar subject, are opportunistic: their numbers fluctuate quickly and they respond sensitively to small environmental changes.
Slow populations such as trees and many (but not all) mammals are more stable and remain closely tied to the annual solar cycle.
During periods of environmental fluctuation, rapid populations act as “colonizers,” briefly occupying shifting microclimates.
Gooley encourages readers to look to the edges of landscapes where “edge effects” preside. At the border of a forest and a clearing, temperature, moisture and solar energy are all variable and more activity happens here.
For example, a cloudy day might notice-
ably alter the presence of dragonflies (rapid) in a clearing at the edge of the forest, while leaving a forest canopy (slow) largely unchanged.
While reading, I kept thinking what an ideal place Nantucket is for applying these principles.
With our remarkable range of ecosystems patchworked across an island that at times feels four seasons in one day, it’s hard to find a better setting.
How incredible would it be, empowered with some of the principles from this book, to engage with all the small changes around
us more?
As Gooley writes, by the end of the book, readers may no longer think of seasons in terms of months, but instead “identify more than one season in each day and know how to unwrap and decipher each moment.”
I’d recommend “The Hidden Seasons: A Calendar of Nature’s Clues” to anyone searching for more wonder and more understanding of the timing of the natural world around them.
Shannon Ross is a library associate at the Nantucket Atheneum.
Tristan Gooley
(Continued from page 3)
Spring Walk: Hinsdale Park
12:30 p.m. Discovery Playground at Hinsdale Park, 54 Old South Road. The Land Bank leads this walk through Hinsdale Park. E-mail dnielsen@nantucketlandbank. org to register. Free.
Live Music: Atticus Allen
4 p.m. Cisco Brewers, 5 Bartlett Farm Road. Rhode Island-based singer-songwriter Atticus Allen will perform.
Lecture: ”The Fluid Border”
5:30 p.m. Nantucket Whaling Museum, 13 Broad St. Aquinnah Wampanoag master artist Jonathan James-Perry will discuss the cultural renaissance of Northeastern indigenous maritime traditions and his participation in the movement. Free, but registration recommended on calendar page of www.nha.org
Philosophy Club
6 p.m. Atheneum Great Hall, 1 India St. Deep thinkers and ponderers are invited for an evening of thoughtful and engaging conversation led by reference library staff member James Grieder. Open to all ages.
Island Calendar April 23-30
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.
Open Mic Night
7 p.m. Dreamland Theater, 17 South Water St. Hosted by David Martin Hayes and friends, these weekly gatherings are a great place to work out new stand-up material, sing a song you’ve been waiting to get out or tell a heartfelt story. Free.
Own the Floor
7:30 p.m. The Chicken Box, 6 Dave St. A Safe Place hosts this evening of dancing, music, community connection and empowerment. Door prizes. 21 and over.
Friday, April 24
Nantucket Bird Walk
8 a.m. Friday and Saturday, Maria Mitchell Association, 33 Washington St. Explore Nantucket’s avian landscapes and hidden nooks with Inquirer and Mirror columnist Ginger Andrews.
FRIDAY, PAGE 16
Art by: Allison Hudson
Art by: Barbara Owen
Photo by Kris Kinsley Hancock
The Nantucket Garden Club’s Daffodil Flower Show is moving to a new location this year, the Nantucket Inn across from Nantucket Memorial Airport.
(Continued from page 15)
Spring Break Discovery Camp
9 a.m.-2 p.m. Hinchman House Natural Science Museum, 7 Milk St. Students in kindergarten to fifth grade are invited to wrap up the week by focusing on how to care for the environment and build a sustainable future. $300 for full week or $60 per session. Register on calendar page of www.mariamitchell.org
Artists in the Garden
10 a.m.-5 p.m. 10 Easy St. Daffodil-inspired treasures and local finds by island artisans, including Sconset and Beyond, Barrie Prints, handcrafted ceramics, decoupage shells and more. Benefits Nantucket Island Safe Harbor for Animals.
Daffodil Festival Bazaar
10 a.m.-3 p.m. Dreamland Theater Harborview Room, 17 South Water St. Nantucket Chamber of Commerce member vendors will display and sell their wares.
Book-signing: Andrea Moriarty
10:30 a.m. Mitchell’s Book Corner, 54 Main St. Author Andrea Moriarty will sign copies of her book “Daffy: Laughter as SelfCare for Autism Moms with Very Little Time and No Interest in Exercise.”
Wine & 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.
Live Music: Steve Rondo
4 p.m. Cisco Brewers, 5 Bartlett Farm Road. Boston-based indie rocker Steve Rondo will perform. Additional shows 3 p.m. Saturday and 4 p.m. Sunday.
Art Opening: AAN
5-7 p.m. Artists Association of Nantucket Cecelia Joyce & Seward Johnson Gallery, 8 Federal St. The AAN will host an opening reception for its Spring Forward exhibition.
Flower Power Party
6 p.m. Nantucket Whaling Museum, 13 Broad St. The Nantucket Historical Association kicks off Daffodil Weekend with its eighth annual Flower Power party, featuring hors d’oeuvres by Island Kitchen and music by Billy Voss. Tickets on calendar page of www.nha.org
Teen Game Night
6 p.m. Atheneum Gallery, 1 India St. Teens and tweens are invited to play a selection of Nintendo Switch games like Just Dance, Mario Party and more. The games will rotate and are first-come, first-served.
Island Calendar April 23-30
Gathering Together: Introduction to Foraging
6:30 p.m. Atheneum learning lab, 1 India St. Build off the tenets of ethical foraging taught in the previous workshops and apply it to identifying useful and dangerous island fungi (mushrooms). Taught by Sean Allen. Registration required on calendar page of www.nantucketatheneum.org.
Stargazing at the Observatory
8 p.m. Loines Observatory, 59 Milk St. Loines Observatory, 59 Milk St. Join professional astronomers from the Maria Mitchell Association for a guided tour of the night sky, including the moon, planets, star clusters, nebulae and more. Register on calendar page of www.mariamitchell.org
Live Music: Foggy Roots
10:30 p.m. Gaslight Nantucket, 3 North Union St. Nantucket’s own roots reggae band Foggy Roots will perform.
Saturday, April 25
Arbor Day Seedling Giveaway
8 a.m.-noon, Nantucket Landfill, 186 Madaket Road. Free seedlings of flowering trees, until they are gone.
Clothesline Project
8:30 a.m. Atheneum Garden courtyard, 1 India St. The Clothesline Project is an emotionally moving art display of T-shirts decorated by local survivors of domestic and sexual abuse to honor survivors, help with the healing process and raise awareness. Hosted by A Safe Place.
Dharma Yoga
8:30 and 10 a.m. sessions, 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.
Rafael Osona Online Auction
9:30 a.m. Rafael Osona presents his first auction of 2025, featuring a collection of mid-century and modern furniture, antiques, Nantucket art, estate jewelry, Nantucket baskets and more. Bid online, absentee or by phone. Live previews, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. April 23-24, Legion Hall, 21 Washington St. Visit www.rafaelosonaauction.com to view the auction.
Daffy Hat Pageant
10 a.m. Children’s Beach Bandstand, Harborview Way. Festively decorate a daffodil-themed hat and join the fun. Ribbons awarded in men’s, women’s and children’s categories.
Book-Signing: Nancy Thayer
10:30 a.m. Mitchell’s Book Corner, 54 Main St. Island author Nancy Thayer will sign copies of her book summer light on Nantucket.”
Cinema for the Very Young
10:30 a.m. Dreamland Theater, 17 South Water St. A sensory-friendly film/series whose title will not be announced in advance. Free. Children in attendance must be accompanied by a caregiver.
Daffodil Kids Parade
10:35 a.m., Children’s Beach, Harborview Way. For children of all ages and their families. Bikes, trikes, scooters, wagons, skateboards, baby-carriages and other self-propelled and decorated vehicles are welcome. Children under 10 must be accompanied by an adult, and all children on bicycles must wear a helmet.
Antique Car Parade
Noon, Main Street. More than 100 classic automobiles, from Model Ts to muscle cars, line Main Street before heading out to Sconset for a tailgate picnic. Staging begins at 9:30 a.m.
Daffy Dog Parade
12:30 p.m. Children’s Beach, Harborview Way. All friendly and leashed dogs are welcome to participate. Daffodil costumes and decorations strongly encouraged. Prizes, but dogs must be registered to win. Registration from 10 a.m.-noon at the corner of Main and Federal streets. Donations benefit Nantucket Safe Harbor for Animals.
Children’s Chess Club
1 p.m. Atheneum gallery, 1 India St. Young chess players of all abilities are encouraged to check out the library’s new chess club. Learn the basics or challenge your friends to a game. Bring your own board or play with one of the Atheneum’s. Drop-ins welcome.
Tailgate Picnic
1 p.m. Main Street, Sconset. Bring along a picnic and check out the classic cars and their daffodil tailgate spreads.
Daffodil Flower Show
2-5 p.m. Nantucket Inn, Miller Lane. The Nantucket Garden Club presents its 50th annual daffodil show. Free. Shuttle service available from Washington Street during show hours Saturday only. Free, but donations welcome for the Garden Club’s daffodil-planting fund. Entry/exhibitor information available at www.nantucketgardenclub. org Continues 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunday.
Nantucket Curling Club
5:30 p.m. Nantucket Ice, 10 Backus Lane. Whether you are a lifelong fan of the sport or have never held a broom, this is the perfect opportunity to learn, play and meet new people in a relaxed, social environment. Open to all skill levels for ages 14 and up. $100 for six weeks. Register at www.nantucketice.org
Live Music: Cranberry Alarm Clock
7-10 p.m. Fairgrounds Restaurant, 27 Fairgrounds Road. Cranberry Alarm Clock, Nantucket’s homegrown rock band, heavily influenced by The Beatles, will perform.
Live Music: Buckle & Shake
10:30 p.m. Gaslight Nantucket, 3 North Union St. Nantucket’s own alt-country band Buckle & Shake will perform. 21 and over.
Sunday, April 26
Arbor Day Seedling Giveaway
8 a.m.-noon, Nantucket Landfill, 186 Madaket Road. Free seedlings of flowering trees, until they are gone.
Birding Meet-Up
8 a.m. Nantucket High School parking lot, 10 Surfside Road. All are invited for a few hours of social birding. Be prepared to carpool. Dress for the weather.
Daffodil 5K
9 a.m. start, Codfish Park, Sconset. Finish off Daffodil Weekend at this annual 5K road race through the scenic coastal village of Sconset on Nantucket’s eastern shoreline. Bib pickup is Friday, April 24 and Saturday, April 25 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at Nantucket Run Centre on Centre Street. Register at www.runreg. com/nantucket-daffodil-5k-2026
Ravenous Reptiles
9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, Maria Mitchell Natural Science Museum, 7 Milk St. Join Maria Mitchell Association staff as they feed the hungry animals at the museum, and learn about the unique adaptations of turtles, frogs, snakes and more. $20. Registration recommended on calendar page of www.mariamitchell.org
Sensational Science: Nature Take-Aparts
1 p.m. Maria Mitchell Natural Science Museum, 7 Milk St. Children 4 and older with a caregiver are invited to use a variety of tools to take apart natural objects and investigate their insides.. Free with museum admission.
Beginner’s Ukulele
5:30 p.m. Nantucket Community Music Center, 56 Centre St. No instrument? No problem. Ukuleles available. All ages welcome. Free.
Monday, April 27
Mommy or Daddy and Me Yoga
10 a.m. Atheneum gallery, 1 India St. Certified yoga instructor Jill Baez leads this session of fun yoga with your little one. Move, stretch and breathe together. Space limited to one caregiver per child.
Introduction to Amateur Radio
5:30 p.m. Atheneum Learning Lab, 1 India St. Members of Nantucket’s amateur radio club will introduce people of all ages and backgrounds to the hobby of amateur radio and demonstrate how to make contact with people on the Cape, across New England and even around the world with nothing more than a small electronics box and some wire over a tree branch. Free.
LGBTQ+ Group
6:30 p.m. Atheneum first floor, 1 India St. An unstructured, supportive environment for anyone identifying as LGBTQ+ to come together for mutual support and to build community.
Best Screenplays: “The Prestige”
7 p.m. Dreamland Theater, 17 South Water St. The Dreamland will screen 2006’s
Island Calendar April 23-30
“The Prestige,” starring Hugh Jackman, Christian Bale, Michael Caine and Piper Pirabo, as part of its Best Screenplays series. Tickets at www.nantucketdreamland.org
Stargazing and Wine
8 p.m. Loines Observatory, 59 Milk St. Maria Mitchell Association director of astronomy Jackie Milingo will guide participants through the constellations and planets while sipping Taylor Fladgate cocktails, rosé and other indulgences. Tickets on calendar page of www.mariamitchell.org
Tuesday, April 28
Indoor Walking
9:30 a.m. Nantucket Boys & Girls Club, 61 Sparks Ave. Seniors are invited to join this indoor walking club for fun and physical fitness. Drop-ins welcome.
Memory Café
10 a.m. Our Island Home, 9 East Creek Road. Memory Cafés are safe and comfortable spaces for people with all forms of mild cognitive impairment. Caregivers are encouraged but not required to attend.
Cinema for the Very Young
10:30 a.m. Dreamland Theater, 17 South Water St. A sensory-friendly film/series whose title will not be announced in advance. Free. Children in attendance must be accompanied by a caregiver.
Connecting to Art and History
10:45 a.m. Tuesdays and Saturdays, Nantucket Whaling Museum, 13 Broad St. Discover connections to art and history as Nantucket Historical Association guides discuss works in the NHA collection. Free.
Somatic Yoga
12:30 p.m. Atheneum gallery, 1 India St. Forty-five minutes of slow, focused movement concluding with full-body relaxation that will leave you feeling relaxed and recharged. Registration required on calendar page of www.nantucketatheneum.org
Golden Age Films: “Bringing Up Baby”
1:30 p.m. Dreamland Theater, 17 South Water St. The Dreamland will screen 1938’s “Bringing Up Baby,” starring Katharine Hepburn and Cary Grant. Free for seniors, $13 for the general public. Tickets at www. nantucketdreamland.org
Meditation
5:30 p.m. Atheneum gallery, 1 India St. A short talk, guided meditation and time for reflection or questions designed to support a clearer understanding of the methods and help build a consistent meditation practice. Registration recommended on calendar page of www.nantucketatheneum.org
Tuesdays with Campbell
5:30 p.m. Nantucket Atheneum, 1 India St. An informal conversation about warrant articles up for a vote at the 2026 Annual Town Meeting. Topics vary weekly. Free.
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 watching the stage show. Free.
Wednesday, April 29
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 WEDNESDAY, PAGE 19
The Champagne comparison
Here’s where human marketing diverges from reality. While everyone emphasizes the chalk connection, the geological truth is more nuanced.
Champagne’s soils are composed of 75 percent limestone (including chalk, marl and hard limestone), and the famous Côte des Blancs is dominated by pure chalk, which is ideal for Chardonnay.
England’s vineyard soils are more diverse. Only a portion sits on pure chalk, and many premium sites are on greensand, clay over chalk or mixed substrates.
Yet the shared chalk formation matters profoundly. Both regions benefit from soils that “breathe.” Chalk’s permeability allows vineyard cellars to be carved directly into bedrock, maintaining ideal temperature and humidity for wine aging.
At Hambledon, I descended into underground cellars carved into white chalk, providing perfect natural maturation conditions.
This geological gift, combined with similar drainage characteristics, enables English producers to work with identical vine stress patterns that help produce the high-acid, flavor-concentrated grapes essential for world-class sparkling wine.
The climate revolution
The transformation of English sparkling wine from curiosity to competitor hinges on one undeniable fact: growing-season temperatures in southern England have risen by about 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit since the 1970s, with the most pronounced warming occurring since 2005.
Every winemaker I spoke with confirmed it. England’s viticultural regions now experience growing-season temperatures comparable to those in Champagne 30-40 years ago. Research from the University of East Anglia’s 2022 climate study shows that:
• Southeast England has experienced over 1.8 degree warming during the growing season since the 1980s alone.
• Six of the warmest growing seasons in the past 100 years have occurred since 2005.
• By 2040, areas in England and Wales are projected to warm by an additional 2.5 degrees during the growing season.
• The exceptional 2018 vintage conditions are forecast to occur in 60-75 percent of years between 2021 and 2040.
The winemakers informed me that the growing season now begins in mid-March rather than late April, and harvest occurs two to three weeks earlier than it did three decades ago.
Chardonnay has shown the most dramatic shift, ripening 21 days earlier in the 19922021 period than in the 1960-1991 period.
The climate data comparing current English wine regions versus historical Champagne is striking.
England (South Downs, 2010-2024)
• Growing season temperature: 58-60°F
• Growing degree days: 1,000-1,200
• Annual rainfall: 28-33 inches
• Growing season rainfall: 12-16 inches
Champagne (Épernay, 1970-1990)
• Growing season temperature: 57-59°F
• Growing degree days: 950-1,100
• Annual rainfall: 26-30 inches
• Growing season rainfall: 12-15 inches
Champagne (Épernay, 2010-2024)
• Growing season temperature: 60-62°F
• Growing degree days: 1,150-1,300
• Annual rainfall: 26-31 inches
• Growing season rainfall: 12-16 inches
The convergence is remarkable. England’s current climate mirrors Champagne’s golden era of the 1980s and 1990s, when the region’s acidity-to-sugar balance produced some of its most celebrated vintages.
As Champagne warms beyond the optimal range for classic styles, England occupies the climatic sweet spot.
The
Champagne climate challenge
Champagne has warmed by 2.7-3.8 degrees since 1960, with the greatest increases in eastern regions such as Beaujolais (+3.8°F), Champagne (+2.7°F) and Alsace (+2.5°F). This warming poses serious challenges:
• Sugar levels at harvest have increased 15-20 percent over 30 years
• Natural alcohol potential has risen from 8.5-9.5 percent to 10.5-12 percent
• Acidity – the cornerstone of sparkling wine – is declining
• Heat stress during ripening increasingly compromises aromatic development
• Harvest dates have advanced significantly, compressing the growing season
Champagne producers now focus obsessively on acidity retention, conducting full malolactic fermentation to buffer acid loss and harvesting earlier, based on pH rather than sugar levels.
The region faces an existential question: As temperatures continue to rise, can Champagne maintain the crisp, high-acid profile that defines great sparkling wine?
England’s sweet spot
English producers harvest at potential alcohol levels of 9-10.5 percent: the same range Champagne operated in during its quality renaissance in the 1980s. The comparison favors England in key metrics:
• July-August temperatures: England averages 3.2°F cooler than the current Champagne
• September temperatures: England is 2.7°F warmer, allowing sugar accumulation while preserving acidity
• Total acidity at harvest: English grapes average 9-11 g/L vs. Champagne’s declining 7-9 g/L
• Optimal ripening window: England’s cooler summer and warmer autumn provide extended flavor development
As Ridgeview winemaker Simon Roberts told me during my visit, “We’re picking at acid levels Champagne can no longer achieve naturally.”
This natural acidity advantage – combined with concentrated flavors from longer hang time – gives English sparklers their signature freshness and aging potential.
Rainfall and risk
Both regions receive 26-33 inches of annual rainfall and have similar growing season patterns (12-16 inches), but the distribution differs critically.
England’s maritime climate delivers more consistent precipitation, and the Isle of Wight provides a rain shadow that protects Hampshire vineyards. England, however, faces its own unique challenges:
• Spring frost risk: Earlier bud-break exposes young shoots to April-May frosts; 2020 and 2024 saw significant frost damage
• Summer rainfall concentration: Recent years show heavier precipitation in shorter bursts, complicating drainage even on chalk Champagne also grapples with climate volatility: severe spring frosts (devastating in 2017 and 2021), hailstorms during ripening and heat spikes exceeding 104 degrees.
But Champagne’s more continental climate offers reliability that England lacks. English vintners must invest heavily in frost protection (fans and radiant heat wires costing 30,000-plus pounds per installation) and precision vineyard management to mitigate disease in humid conditions.
Market conquest
The numbers tell an extraordinary growth story, and I saw the evidence everywhere I traveled.
Vineyard expansion
• 2004: 1,784 acres under vine
• 2024: 11,960 acres (510 percent growth in 20 years)
• 2025: 1,104 vineyards, 238 wineries
Production Volume
• 2015: 3.2 million bottles
• 2023: 20-22 million bottles (record harvest)
• 2024: 69 percent sparkling, 31 percent still wine
Economic impact
• Market value: English wine sales grew 3 percent in 2024 despite economic headwinds
• Exports: 9 percent of sales (2024), up from 7 percent (2022)
• Sussex PDO recognition (2022) establishes a quality benchmark
Global recognition
• Nyetimber Blanc de Blancs 2016: Champion Sparkling Wine, International Wine Challenge 2025
• Wiston Blanc de Blancs: Selected as “Best Sparkling Wine of 2025” by sommeliers
• Chapel Down: Served at 10 Downing Street and poured at King Charles III’s 2023 coronation (limited edition 2016 vintage)
• British Airways now features English sparkling in First Class and Club Class. In blind tastings I’ve participated in, English sparkling wines regularly defeat Champagne.
Producers like Nyetimber, Gusbourne and Ridgeview have won top honors at the International Wine Challenge, Decanter World Wine Awards and International Wine & Spirit Competition, validating that England produces not just good sparkling wine, but world-class examples rivaling the best Champagne houses.
Investment from Champagne
The ultimate validation came when French Champagne houses began purchasing English vineyard land. I visited one of these sites last spring.
• Taittinger established Domaine Evremond in Kent (2017), planting 217 acres on Kimmeridgian limestone
• Pommery founded Pinglestone Estate in Hampshire (2017)
• Champagne houses collectively evaluate English sites for expansion
This “reverse colonization” signals Champagne’s acknowledgment that southern England offers optimal conditions for traditional-method sparkling wine and potentially better conditions than those in the warming Champagne region itself.
Data sourced from WineGB, UK Climate Projections 2018, University of East Anglia climate studies (2022), OENO One research publications, Champagne.fr, and direct estate sources. All production figures are current as of 2024-2025 vintages.
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
(Cellar, continued
Courtesy of Peter McEachern English sparkling wine from Hambledon.
Island Calendar
(Wednesday, continued from page 17)
their natural habitat. Binoculars, a spotting scope and field guides available to borrow. Free, but registration required on calendar page of www.llnf.org
Toddler Time
10:30 a.m. Atheneum gallery, 1 India St. Educator Melanie Hajjar leads 45 minutes of circle time, hands-on activities, engaging toys to explore and a project to create together.
Drop-in Craft Gam
11 a.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.
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.
Library LEGOs
3 p.m. Atheneum gallery, 1 India St. The library supplies the bricks, the kids provide the creativity. Free, but space is limited.
(Walk, continued from page 8)
I do love coming down here on a summer morning to see and hear the buzz of gardeners carefully tending to the manicured flower boxes and rose-covered cottages.
Across the street from the triangle field, I spot a slender Nantucket Land Bank post and a small bike rack that appear brand new.
The narrow trail too is recently cut, connecting Main Street with the Sconset Trust’s Heller Trail. Leave it to the Land Bank to find another terrific way to support access to another beautiful spot on the island.
I walk the edge of the road toward the heart of the village. Small circular signs proudly say “20 is Plenty in Sconset” but going slower allows you to fully appreciate the quaintness of this special island corner.
In the village, the daffodils are joined by yellow forsythia bushes, flowering before the privet has a single blasted leaf.
The yellow lichens on the sycamore maples and red maples along Main Street also join in the festive display. It is as if the island flora has chosen their preferred color for the season.
I look up at the treetops as I continue along the maple-lined road where picnics will soon be furnished.
An American crow, noticeably smaller than the raven I saw earlier, rattles and coos playfully as it picks pieces of beard lichen off
Teen Trivia
4:30 p.m. Atheneum gallery, 1 India St. Teens are invited for an afternoon of trivia. Bring a friend and test your knowledge. Snacks. Intended for 13 and up.
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.
Teen Dungeons & Dragons
6 p.m. Atheneum gallery, 1 India St. Join the young adult librarian to explore dungeons, battle monsters and let your inner warrior out in a beginner-friendly Dungeons & Dragons club. Intended for ages 1318. Space is limited. Register by e-mailing shurd@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.
WEDNESDAY, PAGE 22
the top branches and throws them off.
It watches as the lichen falls to the ground and squawks triumphantly. It mirrors the joy a kid gets by tossing a nice rock into the water with a satisfying splash.
Corvids, like people, enjoy playing a bit with their surroundings.
I take a right at the tiny rotary, following Ocean Street for a clearer view. I stop for a moment on the white bridge and peer out at the eastern expanse of the sea, remarking to myself that there is nothing but water between us and Portugal.
Near the center of Sconset, a small white post marks “7-1/2 M to T 1824,” a historical marker which delineates the length of Milestone Road into town. Everyone knows the phenomenon of “island time,” but island distance is also a strange dilation of effort, perceived or otherwise.
On the mainland, 7.5 miles is nothing. You would drive that and pay no mind to an extra couple of miles. Yet while on Nantucket, a trip to the other side of the island can seem like a daunting task or an insurmountable chasm accompanied by, “well, I don’t want to drive all the way across the island.”
Take the time for a ride on a gorgeous spring day. Better yet, take a bike ride. It is absolutely worth your time to take in the calm before the season revs into high gear.
Neil Foley is the interpretive education coordinator and ecologist at the Nantucket Conservation Foundation.
An evening of community and compassion in support of patients and families facing serious illness.
Together, we gather to support patients and families facing serious illness and to ensure that PASCON’s expert care, provided free of charge, remains available to all on Nantucket.
Island Calendar
(Wednesday, continued from page 19)
Film for Thought: “Power to the People”
7 p.m. Dreamland Theater, 17 South Water St. The Inquirer and Mirror and the Dreamland will screen the 2026 concert film “Power to the People,: John and Yoko/Plastic Ono Band as part of their Film for Thought series. Tickets at www.nantucketdreamland.org
Thursday, April 30
Spring Walk: Millbrook Woods
12:30 p.m. 60 Millbrook Road. A Nantucket Land Bank staff member leads this walk through the conservation group’s Millbrook Woods property. Free. E-mail dnielsen@ nantucketlandbank.org to register.
Cisco Trivia
5:30-7 p.m. Cisco Brewers, 5 Bartlett Farm Road. Test your wits against some of the island’s brightest know-it-alls. Gift-card prizes.
(MusACK, continued from page 4)
and playing gigs and spending time with my friends. It’s less late nights and chaos, and more of just appreciating simpler living a little bit.”
Even as his personal life has slowed down, his ambitions are expanding.
While Rondo has cultivated a strong regional audience, one of his primary goals this year is to grow both geographically and online. Lessons from touring behind “The Rudys” informed that shift.
“Something we learned from the previous album was that we’ve done a really good job in the Northeast playing shows and selling tickets and (having) people supporting us and turning out, but we haven’t had any big expansion online or growing the audience too much,” Rondo said.
“And something I’ve always wanted to do is organize a tour down the East Coast, and that can be really challenging for bands to do in an economically feasible way.”
To make that happen, Rondo began organizing an East Coast tour with a specific strategy: lean into coastal destinations with “built-in” summer crowds.
Stops along the Jersey Shore, Virginia Beach and the Outer Banks of North Carolina mirror the seasonal energy he’s come to appreciate on Nantucket, where he and the band have regularly played each season since 2021.
“(This tour) is basically going to be just playing beach towns, kind of like Nantucket, because we have such a good experience on the island every time we go there,” Rondo said. “We get to surf during the day and then play the shows.”
“I really wanted to be able to set out on this tour with the mindset that it’s going to be a success before we even hit the road, because
Dinner with a View
5:30 p.m. Nantucket Anglers’ Club, Old South Wharf. Seniors are invited for dinner at the Anglers’ Club. Appetizer, main dish and dessert. Space is limited. $25. Call (508) 325-4181 to RSVP.
Art Display: What Were You Wearing?
6-8 p.m. A Safe Place, 19 Amelia Drive. This art installation fights back against rape myths by displaying re-creations of the clothing survivors were wearing when they were assaulted, showing that someone’s clothing does not equate to consent.
Beloved Characters and Powerful Portrayals of Resilience
7 p.m. online at www.nantucketatheneum.org. Author Jason Reynolds will discuss his latest work, “Coach,” the fifth and last entry in his “Track” series. Register on calendar page of www.nantucketatheneum.org
it’ll be organized in a way where we’re playing to people in these built-in communities.”
The tour, titled “Wrapped Up in a Feeling,” reflects the emotional through-line of Rondo’s work, and the shared experiences that fuel it.
“You get these moments, maybe it’s even a matter of seconds, where you’re playing on stage and you feel fully locked in and present and in synergy with the whole band,”
Rondo said.
“It’s like the exact same giddy feeling if you’re surfing and you get a great wave. So it’s like marrying those two things together: having a great time and taking the stress out of ticket sales and just trying to connect with new people in new towns.”
Rondo and the band plan to document the tour as part of a short film, using their live performances as a soundtrack. Their Aug. 20 show at The Gaslight will make Nantucket a part of the film.
In addition to the summer tour, Rondo is set to perform at the Levitate Music & Arts Festival in Marshfield, and at the inaugural Kinfolk Music & Arts Festival in Danbury, N.H., both in July.
Rondo says many festivals also reserve spots in their lineup for rising acts, and he has applied for several of those this year.
“(Kinfolk) is actually the first thing we’re doing for the tour,” Rondo said. “We’re probably one of the smaller acts, and we’re opening up that festival, so that’ll be a ton of fun. Hopefully we get some more slots, maybe this summer or in the fall.”
Steve Rondo, 4 p.m. Saturday, April 25, and 3 p.m. Sunday, April 26, Cisco Brewers, 5 Bartlett Farm Road, all ages; and 10 p.m. Sunday, April 26, Gaslight Nantucket, 3 North Union St, 21 and over.
8 AM - 12 AM (or until seedlings run out)
Saturday, April 25 Sunday, April 26
Saturday, April 25 Sunday, April 26 Nantucket Land l (Residential Drop-Off Parking Lot)
