Summer on Nantucket is coming to an end. Usually at this time of year I try to hold on to summer. Phenologically, September is still part of the growing season, and it’s peak time for many of our wildflowers. That’s what I usually say. This year, however, is a bit different. We’re starting to see fall colors in August (!), plants going dormant earlier than usual, and some things withering before our eyes—more typical late fall activity.
Recent Posts
Well Done Nantucket Anglers!
Steve “Tuna” Tornovish It’s hard to be successful from a standing start (no, this is not a poke at our beloved Bill Belichick after his North Carolina Tar Heels took a horrendous loss to TCU on national television) but the August Blues fishing tournament certainly has done it. In only […]
Old-Fashioned Fun at the Nantucket Fair
As summer draws to a close and autumn begins to paint our island landscape, one September tradition marks the changing of the seasons: the Nantucket Island Fair. This community gathering brings together residents and visitors for a weekend of old-fashioned entertainment, local flavor, and island camaraderie. The fair is being […]
Fishing After the Storm
Hurricanes make for wonderful metaphors but lousy forecasts. Hurricane Erin came a’ creeping up the east coast and ruined a lot of late August plans. Number one on my list was the Derby Day fishing event, wisely cancelled out of an abundance of caution. High winds, rip currants, and huge ocean swells are not conducive to a great family beach day. On the bright side, some of the surfing pictures and videos that came from the southern shores of Nantucket are flatout amazing. The good with the bad, right?
Arie L. Kopelman Honored by NHA
The Nantucket Historical Association is proud to honor Arie L. Kopelman with the official naming of the Whaling Museum’s Scrimshaw and Decorative Arts Gallery, Arie L. Kopelman Gallery, in his honor. Kopelman’s passion for decorative arts and Nantucket history, as well as his tremendous support of the Nantucket Historical Association […]
Don’t Call Them Widows’ Walks
As you walk through the streets of Nantucket you will see surrounding the chimneys of several houses seven- to eight-foot wooden platforms with wooden railings. These platforms are often called “widows’ walks”—a term which conjures up images of women in long skirts and bonnets gazing forlornly toward the harbor. You […]
Will You Win Fame & Glory?
There just 2 more weeks to win fame and glory in our annual Photo Contest — September 12 is the deadline to enter for the 2025 judging. For more than 30 years, this popular contest has been a terrific way for residents and visitors to share their images of Nantucket […]
Yesterday’s Island/Today’s Nantucket Page by Page
Now you can page through Yesterday’s Island/Today’s Nantucket to read each issue on your phone, tablet, or computer. See the photos, ads, and maps, as well as the editorial. READ YESTERDAY’S ISLAND/TODAY’S NANTUCKET PAGE BY PAGE! Read Past Issues Online
Limerick Challenge
This series of limericks first appeared in a June 14, 1924 edition of a Nantucket newspaper. It all began when the Princeton Tiger revived the then well-known limerick printed first below and the Chicago Tribune answered with the second limerick. The New York Exchange went one step further with the […]