Daffy Daze on Nantucket

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No chance of seeing red these past few days on our little island.  It was all yellow, all the time.  Yellow flowers, yellow purses, yellow cars, bikes, hats, hair (yes, you read that right) and even a couple of yellow dogs (bottle dye, not salon no doubt).  The streets, flowerbeds, window boxes and centerpieces were all adorned with daffodils.  It’s speculated that over 3 million daffy’s pop open on the island every year.  I haven’t stopped to count them all, but trust me, they are everywhere!

Nobody throws a party like the people of Nantucket and this past weekend did not disappoint.  Hundreds (perhaps thousands?) of residents, guests, friends and family gathered on the island for Daffy Daze on Nantucket sporting their yellow clothing, accessories, baskets and bows to toast the guest of honor…the daffodil! There was electricity in the air on Saturday morning as the crowd congregated downtown to catch a first glimpse of the decorated classic cars, the bedazzled bicycles and the extravagant hats and bonnets (those Royal Wedding guests have nothing on Nantucket!)

From my second floor office window at Lee Real Estate, as far as you could see down Main Street, our little town was a sea of yellow.  Everywhere you looked people were laughing and smiling, admiring their neighbor’s outrageous costumes or extravagant decorations.  There were colonial girls donning elaborate yellow dresses and large curly wigs.  There was a VW Bug dressed up like a rooster – complete with a giant red tongue peeking out from under the hood and a tape recorded “cock a doodle doo” blaring from its under-carriage.  Down the street sat a yellow truck full of toothless vagabonds who proudly dubbed themselves the Nantucket Hillbillies. One brave soul wondered the streets in his green pants, green sweater and huge yellow daffodil bonnet, while smiling from ear to ear.

The party really got started as the parade began to head up Main Street led by a police escort, an antique firetruck and the Honorary Mayor perched atop a convertible.  There was a flashback to the sixties as VW Mini Buses and Bugs splashed with yellow flowers and wreaths cruised up the street.  The wreaths came in a wide variety of shapes; whales, smiley faces, hearts and even a peace sign.  The message was clear – peace, love and daffodils! It’s intriguing that a little yellow flower has the ability to generate so much creativity, fun and genuine “daffy” behavior, but it certainly did.

If you were unable to join the festivities this past weekend don’t worry, there are many opportunities ahead for fun on Nantucket.  Wine Weekend and Figawi are just around the corner and the summer season and activities begin in earnest with the arrival of June.  So why not make plans now to come celebrate on the island? And be sure to bring along your camera.  You just never know what you might see.

Party on…