The Halloween Main Street Parade & October Events

There’s something truly enchanting about Nantucket in the fall. Crisp sea air, quiet cobblestone streets, and the community coming together for one of the island’s most beloved traditions: the annual Halloween Parade down Main Street.

Families, friends, and visitors dress in creative costumes and stroll down Main Street from the fountain to Centre Street as downtown shops open their doors for trick-or-treating. It’s classic, cozy, and quintessentially Nantucket. Participants are especially encouraged to enter the costume contest that takes place prior to the parade.

This year's parade begins around 4:00 pm from the Lieutenant Max Wagner Memorial Fountain (at the base of Main Street) and proceeds up Main Street toward Centre Street.

For more information, see the Chamber of Commerce site in the sidebar.

Kick off October at the Nantucket Shellfish Association Scallopers Ball, on October 3. The event celebrates the start of Nantucket’s bay scallop season while raising funds to support the NSA's mission to preserve and protect the island's harbors, water quality, and shellfish ecosystems.

Participate in some on-island shopping October 10 through 13 at the annual Cobblestones and Catwalks event. This is a community shopping initiative organized by the Nantucket Island Chamber of Commerce, meant to promote and support local island businesses. During this time, participating local shops, galleries, boutiques, and restaurants will have special promotions or participate in a “stamp / bingo card” style shopping game to engage visitors and locals. For more information, see the Chamber of Commerce site in the sidebar.

Run in the Nantucket Half Marathon on October 12. This island race is a favorite among locals and visitors alike and boasts a new course this year in Nantucket Land Bank’s Smooth Hummocks Coastal Preserve.

Finish off the month with the Fall Festival & Batacular Bike Race hosted by the Nantucket Conservation Foundation (NCF) on October 26.

Bring the family for some fall fun including hayrides, games, live musical performances, food and more. Be sure to catch the Batacular Bike Race or ride in it yourself!

Weaving through Nantucket’s natural landscapes, the bike race course features two options, a 8.4-mile single look or a 16.8-mile double loop. The route runs through the Middle Moors trails and includes a mix of sandy dirt roads, winding single-track, and “technical” stretches with roots, rocks, and scrub oak. Sign up for the race here.

Proceeds from the race support the Nantucket Conservation Foundation’s mission: protecting and conserving Nantucket’s open spaces, ecological research, maintaining public access, and environmental education.