What Is the Nantucket Wine & Food Festival?
The Nantucket Wine & Food Festival is one of the most anticipated events on the island calendar. The 28th annual edition runs May 27-31, 2026. If you’re heading to Nantucket for the festival — or you’re already here — here’s everything you need to know to make the most of it.
The Nantucket Wine & Food Festival brings together world-class winemakers, celebrated chefs, and serious food and wine lovers for five days of tastings, dinners, seminars, and events across the island. Furthermore, it’s an all-ages 21+ event that has become one of the premier wine festivals in the country. It draws participants from across the globe to this small island off Cape Cod.
This year’s festival is packed with standout events including the Grey Lady Welcome Reception on Wednesday evening, the Island Gala on Thursday, and Grand Tastings across the weekend. Moreover, there is a lineup of intimate wine dinners featuring some of the most celebrated producers in the world — Opus One, GAJA, Hundred Acre, and more.
The Weekend at a Glance
Wednesday, May 27 kicks things off with the Grey Lady Welcome Reception from 5-8PM — a great way to ease into the festival and get your bearings on the island.
Thursday, May 28 brings morning and afternoon tastings including a Champagne Billecart-Salmon event and an Italian wine and caviar pairing. The day is capped off with the Island Gala in the evening.
Friday, May 29 is the most packed day of the festival with back-to-back seminars, Grand House tastings, a Shucked oyster event, and multiple wine dinners running into the evening.
Saturday, May 30 features the Grand Tasting sessions — the signature festival experience — with hundreds of wines poured across two sessions. Plus, there is a Rosé Glambake in the evening that is one of the most fun events of the entire weekend.
Sunday, May 31 closes out with the Grand Tasting Session 3, the Dames Déjeuner Lobster Luncheon, and a final Opus One tasting with winemaker Michael Silacci.
Full schedule and tickets at nantucketwinefestival.com.
Tips for Making the Most of Wine Fest Weekend
Book your restaurant reservations now if you haven’t already. Nantucket’s best spots — Cru, Or the Whale, Straight Wharf — fill up completely during Wine Fest weekend. If you don’t have reservations, plan on the bar or walk-in luck.
Get to the Grand Tastings early. The Saturday sessions are the heart of the festival, and the best producers pour out early. Session 1 runs 11AM-1:30PM and Session 2 runs 3:30-6PM.
Pace yourself. Five days of world-class wine on a small island is a marathon, not a sprint. Build in some recovery time — a beach walk, a slow morning, a quiet afternoon.
Cannabis and Wine Fest — A Natural Pairing
Nantucket Wine & Food Festival attracts a sophisticated crowd that knows how to enjoy themselves. Cannabis and wine are increasingly complementary parts of a great weekend for many adults — different vibes, different moments, equally Nantucket.
If cannabis is part of your Wine Fest weekend, stop into ACK Natural before the festival gets going. We’re at 19 Spearhead Drive near the airport, open daily 10AM-7PM, Friday and Saturday until 8PM. We grow our flower right here on the island — the only dispensary in Nantucket that does. For a Wine Fest weekend, our effect-specific edibles are worth knowing about: Chill for winding down after an evening dinner, Awake for a morning yoga or beach walk, and Asleep for a deep night’s rest between big days.
Order online at acknat.com and your order will be ready when you arrive. No wait, no fuss.
Where to Stay Grounded Between Events
The beaches are your best recovery tool. Jetties Beach is a short ride from town and perfect for a midday reset between tastings. Surfside is a longer haul but worth it for the waves and open space.
If you want food that isn’t a five-course wine dinner, Something Natural on Cliff Road makes the best sandwiches on the island and is a local institution. Grab one, find a bench, decompress.
The Chicken Box is the live music spot if you want to keep the night going after dinner. It’s the kind of place that reminds you Nantucket has a real local scene underneath the white-linen surface.
Getting Here
Ferry from Hyannis via Steamship Authority or Hy-Line Cruises is the classic move. Book early — Wine Fest weekend ferries fill up. Cape Air flies direct from Boston, Providence, and New York area if you want to skip the Cape traffic entirely.
ACK Natural is about a 10 minute drive from anywhere on the island. Order ahead and we’ll have everything ready when you land or dock.
See you at the festival. 🍷🌿
