Of all the celebratory weekends on Nantucket (there are quite a few!), Daffy is my ultimate favorite. I love all the classic cars, fabulous outfits and hats, the dog parade, the food… There is just so much to do! With
this year being the 50th Anniversary, our preparations are already in full swing. It’s time to dust off all the picnic stuff, pull out our collection of yellow and green, and gather all our crafting supplies. While both my daughter and I have a collection of Daffy Day outfits, we’ll definitely snag some special gear in honor of the 50th festival.
When the Daffodil Festival returned in 2022, I was so excited for my daughter to finally be able to take part. Being a rather crafty child, she wanted to make something for the hat parade at Children’s Beach. Using a balloon and a flower pot, we created a giant Papier Mache daffodil! It was heavy and awkward but Cassidy wore it with pride. And, she won first place! After her prize-winning start, the Hat Parade has become the focus of our weekend. In honor of the anniversary, Cassidy has extra-specials plans. I provided some supplies, (hat, pipe cleaners, artificial flowers, etc.) but that is the end of my responsibilities. I am not quite sure what she’s making but I’m here for it!
As we get closer to the festival, we start closely watching all of the daffodils in our yard. Cassidy checks them out almost daily, narrowing in on which one she will pick to enter in the horticultural division of the Daffodil Flower Show. Over the years, we have planted more and more bulbs at our house. We planted some in the front, some in the back yard, some in part sun and some in full. We’ve also been sure to plant a few different varieties. The ultimate goal is to have tons of prize-winning choices no matter what the spring weather is like.
Since we head into town by 9 and stay until after lunch, we need our picnic gear. A cooler, a blanket, some chairs and plenty of food. (While it’s officially just the two of us, we usually bring enough to feed anyone we run in to.) After checking out the cars on Main Street, we’ll set up camp at Children’s Beach. Between the Hat Parade, Bike Parade, Dog Parade, and everything else going, we spend most of the day there. Once Children’s starts to die down, we pack up and head to Sconset. There may not be much food left by the time we arrive but there’s still plenty to see. Before we head home, we stop in the daffodil field on the corner for some pics and that wraps things up until next year.
~ Kate O’Brien
Gift Manager