Nantucket Events November 2026: Halloween to Thanksgiving

The island quiets down after Columbus Day, but anyone who spends the shoulder season here knows the calendar is far from empty.

What to do this fall on Nantucket?

This guide to Nantucket events November 2026 starts with the last week of October, because Halloween weekend is one of the most fun (and most local) stretches of the year, and runs all the way through Thanksgiving and the Tree Lighting. There's live music, costumes on Main Street, a cranberry bog festival, a cold harbor plunge, and the first glow of Nantucket Noel. Here's what to put on your calendar.

Last Week of October on Nantucket The Wallflowers at The Muse (Saturday, October 24)The fall concert calendar opens big. The Wallflowers bring their 30th anniversary tour for Bringing Down the Horse to The Muse on Surfside Road, playing the landmark album front to back. Doors are at 7:30 p.m. and the show starts at 9 p.m. Get tickets early; a national act in the off-season tends to go fast.NCF Fall Festival & Batacular Bike Race (Sunday, October 25)The Nantucket Conservation Foundation's Fall Festival takes over the historic Milestone Cranberry Bog at 220 Milestone Road from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It's free and family-friendly, with hayrides, pumpkin and face painting, food trucks, NCF cranberry sales, and a Nanpuppets show at 11 a.m. Island favorites Buckle and Shake play live from noon to 2 p.m. Riders get an earlier start: the 5th Annual Batacular Bike Race leaves at 9 a.m. with an 8.4-mile or 16.8-mile loop through the Middle Moors.Halloween Week Warm-Ups (October 28–30)Trails and Treats at the Linda Loring Nature Foundation, Wednesday, October 28, 3–5 p.m. Free, costumes welcome, geared to pre-K through fifth grade.H'Owl Watch with the Maria Mitchell Association, Thursday, October 29, 5–7 p.m. Registration required.Spooky walk-through and trick-or-treating at the Whaling Museum, Friday, October 30, 4:30–6 p.m.Halloween Stargazing at Loines Observatory, Friday, October 30, 7:30–8:30 p.m.Grahame Lesh & Friends (Night 1) at The Muse, Friday, October 30. Doors at 7 p.m., show at 9 p.m.Halloween on Nantucket 2026 (Saturday, October 31)Halloween lands on a Saturday this year, which means a full day and a long night. Here's how it shakes out:Free Halloween movies at the Dreamland starting at noon: It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (12 p.m.), Hocus Pocus (1:30 p.m.), Beetlejuice (5 p.m.), and Halloween (8 p.m.). Reservations recommended.Main Street Halloween Parade & Costume Contest. Gather at the bottom of Main Street by 3:15–3:30 p.m. for the costume contest; the parade steps off at 4 p.m. Bring a carved pumpkin to the Lt. Max Wagner Memorial Fountain for the pumpkin contest. Main Street is closed to cars, so walk, bike, or plan your parking.Halloween in the Courtyard at the Nantucket Atheneum, 4–6 p.m., right after the parade.The Nantucket Ghost Walk (Town Route), 8 p.m. from the corner of Centre and Main. Cash only.Grahame Lesh & Friends (Night 2) at The Muse. Doors at 7 p.m., show at 9 p.m. A Grateful Dead-rooted jam on Halloween night is about as Nantucket as it gets.Elephant in the Room at The Chicken Box, 10:30 p.m.–1 a.m. The Box's annual Halloween party is the island's traditional last stop. Costumes strongly encouraged.Where Can You Catch Live Music on Nantucket This November?The headline show of the month is Michelle Branch at The Muse on Saturday, November 7 (doors 7 p.m., show 9 p.m.). She's touring on her Everywhere and Back Again run, so expect the early-2000s hits alongside new material.Beyond the ticketed shows, November is when the year-round crowd takes back the bar stools. Downtown spots like The Gaslight and The Rose & Crown keep local bands and DJs going into the off-season, and The Chicken Box announces late-fall nights on short notice. Follow their Instagram accounts for week-of lineups, since off-season schedules change quickly.Looking a little further out, The Muse has already announced Gavin DeGraw's Christmas Stroll sets on December 4 and 5, so it's worth grabbing those tickets now.More Nantucket Events in November 2026Nantucket Noel begins November 1. The Chamber's holiday season officially kicks off and runs through December 31.AAN "Short Days, Long Nights" exhibition, on view through November 17 with the Artists Association of Nantucket.NHA Festival of Wreaths, November 24–December 5. The 28th annual festival moves to a new home on the second floor of the historic Macy Warehouse at 12 Straight Wharf, with free admission and online bidding. The ticketed Preview Party is Monday, November 23, 5–7 p.m.Cold Turkey Plunge, Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 10 a.m. The Nantucket Atheneum's plunge marks its 25th year at Children's Beach, raising money for the Weezie Library for Children. Early registration is $35, day-of is $50.Tree Lighting & Community Caroling, Friday, November 27, 4 p.m. More than 150 trees light up Main Street with live musical performances and carols. Main Street closes to vehicles from noon to 6 p.m.Small Business Saturday, November 28. A great day to shop island-owned before the Stroll crowds arrive December 4–6.Plan Your Fall Weekend With ACK NaturalBetween the parade, a late show at The Muse, and Thanksgiving with family, the off-season fills up fast. ACK Natural is Nantucket's only on-site cannabis cultivation operation and the island's only licensed medical cannabis facility, and our flower is grown 30 feet underground right here at 19 Spearhead Drive. Before a big night, browse our locally grown edibles in Awake, Chill, and Asleep, or keep it light with a THC seltzer back at the house. New this fall, we're carrying Tower Three flower and Good Chemistry live rosin.Browse the menu and order ahead for in-store pickup so you're in and out before the parade. New to cannabis in Massachusetts? Our Nantucket cannabis laws guide covers the basics.Must be 21+ with a valid ID. Cannabis may not be consumed in public, including at events, beaches, or on Main Street. Please consume responsibly. Event dates and times come from organizer and venue listings and can change, so confirm with each host before you go.