Nantucket Christmas Stroll 2026: Ferries, Santa's Arrival, the Marketplace and Where to Stay
The Nantucket Christmas Stroll is the island's signature holiday weekend. In 2026 it runs Friday, December 4 through Sunday, December 6. It is the 52nd Stroll, organized by the Nantucket Island Chamber of Commerce, and admission is free.
Nantucket is 30 miles out to sea, so most of the planning is about getting there and finding a place to stay. This guide covers the schedule the Chamber has published so far, the ferries and flights, parking, and lodging.
The essentials
- Dates: Friday, December 4 through Sunday, December 6, 2026
- Where: downtown Nantucket, centered on Main Street
- Admission: free and open to all
- Santa's arrival: Saturday, December 5, at noon
- Stroll Marketplace: Saturday, December 5, 10am–3pm, NIR/Stop & Shop lot, 9 Salem Street
- Stroll program: pick one up at the Chamber office, Zero Main Street, second floor
- Organizer: Nantucket Island Chamber of Commerce
What happens at Stroll
Stroll is a downtown festival, not a single venue. According to the Chamber, the weekend brings Victorian-costumed carolers, talking Christmas trees, student choirs, musicians and other performers to the streets around Main Street. The Chamber also describes craft shows and a European-style Christmas market. Chamber member shops and restaurants run their own events, sales and dinners through the weekend.
The Chamber hands out the Official Stroll Program at its office at Zero Main Street, second floor. The program is where the full day-by-day schedule lives. As of late September, the 2026 program had not been posted online, so check the Chamber's Christmas Stroll page closer to the date. For Friday and Sunday times, check the official site for current hours.
Santa's arrival on Saturday
Santa's arrival is the weekend's most anticipated tradition. On Saturday at noon, Santa arrives aboard a Coast Guard vessel. He then rides up Main Street in a red fire truck, with the Town Crier.
The Chamber's own advice from last year: there is no need to crowd onto the pier. Santa rides the fire truck up Main Street, so you can see him anywhere along the route.
The Stroll Marketplace
The Stroll Marketplace is open Saturday, December 5, from 10am to 3pm. It fills the NIR/Stop & Shop parking lot at 9 Salem Street, near the bottom of Main Street.
The Chamber describes it as a European-style holiday market. Island craftspeople, artists, jewelers, photographers and retailers sell gifts. Several Nantucket nonprofits have tables, and a row of food trucks and restaurants sells food. Every vendor is a Chamber member. Admission is free. The Chamber also sets up a merchandise and information table in the Marketplace on Saturday.
For vendors: Marketplace spaces are open only to Chamber members, and registration runs through the Chamber's member login. The 2026 listing gives fees of $125 for merchants, $100 for nonprofits and $175 for food trucks. Space is limited. For login help, the Chamber lists 508-228-1700, or email membership@nantucketchamber.org.
Getting to Nantucket
There is no bridge. You arrive by ferry or by plane. Book your travel early for Stroll weekend.
Ferries from Hyannis. The Chamber lists two year-round ferry lines, the Steamship Authority and Hy-Line Cruises. Both run a high-speed passenger catamaran that takes about an hour. The Steamship Authority also runs a traditional car-and-passenger ferry that takes about two and a half hours.
- Steamship Authority: Hyannis terminal at 69 South Street; Nantucket terminal at 1 Steamboat Wharf. Reservations at steamshipauthority.com or (508) 477-8600, daily 7–4pm.
- Hy-Line Cruises: high-speed ferry from Hyannis, about 60 minutes. Hy-Line says reservations are the only way to guarantee space, and asks passengers to arrive at least 45 minutes before departure. Book at hylinecruises.com.
The Chamber also names seasonal ferries from Harwich Port and New Bedford. Those are seasonal, so check whether they run in December before you plan around them.
Leave the car. The Chamber recommends leaving your car in Hyannis, where both ferry lines have secure paid lots. Bringing a car over is expensive and parking on the island is tight.
Flights. Nantucket's airport has year-round flights from Boston, Hyannis and Martha's Vineyard, according to the Chamber. Cape Air and Tradewind are among the carriers it lists.
Getting to Hyannis. Plymouth & Brockton buses run from Boston's South Station and Logan Airport to the Hyannis Transportation Center, two blocks from the harbor. Peter Pan buses run from New York's Port Authority.
Watch the weather. The Chamber's Stroll tips say to check the forecast often and keep an eye on ferry and flight updates.
Parking and getting around
Parking downtown is very limited during Stroll. Two rows of the downtown Stop & Shop lot close from the afternoon of Friday, December 4 to the evening of Saturday, December 5, for the Marketplace.
The Chamber's advice is to take a cab, get a ride, or use the Wave. The Wave is the Nantucket Regional Transit Authority's shuttle. All of its buses are free, and all are wheelchair accessible. Downtown itself is compact and walkable, but many of the streets are cobblestone, so wear sturdy shoes.
One more rule from the Chamber: even though Main Street is closed to traffic and it is a celebration, open containers of alcohol are not allowed anywhere.
Where to stay
Stroll is the island's signature weekend, so book lodging as early as you can. The Chamber's online member directory is one place to start. If the island is full, you can stay on Cape Cod and take a fast ferry over for the day. Check the return schedule before you commit.
The rest of Nantucket Noel
Stroll sits inside Nantucket Noel, the Chamber's season of holiday events from November 1 to December 31, 2026.
- Tree Lighting and Community Caroling: Friday, November 27, at 4pm, the day after Thanksgiving. More than 150 trees downtown are lit. Main Street closes from noon to 6pm.
- Red Ticket program: starting November 1, participating Chamber member businesses give one red ticket for every $25 spent. The drawing is December 24 at 1pm, with five $1,000 prizes and one $5,000 prize.
Q: When is the Nantucket Christmas Stroll in 2026?
The 52nd Nantucket Christmas Stroll runs Friday, December 4 through Sunday, December 6, 2026. Santa arrives Saturday at noon, and the Stroll Marketplace is open Saturday from 10am to 3pm.
Q: Is the Nantucket Christmas Stroll free?
Yes. The Chamber lists Stroll as free and open to all, and the Stroll Marketplace is free to enter. You pay only for what you buy, plus your ferry or flight.
Q: How do I get to Nantucket for Christmas Stroll?
Take a ferry from Hyannis or fly. The Steamship Authority and Hy-Line Cruises both run fast ferries of about an hour, and the Steamship Authority's car ferry takes about two and a half hours. Book early for Stroll weekend.
Q: What time does Santa arrive at the Christmas Stroll?
Santa arrives Saturday, December 5, at noon. He comes in on a Coast Guard vessel and rides up Main Street in a red fire truck, so you can see him anywhere along the route.
Q: Where is the Stroll Marketplace?
It is in the NIR/Stop & Shop parking lot at 9 Salem Street, near the bottom of Main Street. It is open Saturday, December 5, from 10am to 3pm.
Another island holiday weekend
A week after Stroll, Martha's Vineyard holds its own version. Christmas in Edgartown runs December 10–13, 2026, with a parade, a lighthouse lighting and a crafts festival.
Related reading
- Holiday Craft Fairs & Christmas Markets in Massachusetts 2026
- New England Christmas Strolls and Village Holiday Celebrations 2026
- Christmas in Edgartown 2026: Martha's Vineyard's Holiday Weekend
- Massachusetts Fairs and Festivals in 2026: Your Complete Guide
- Craft Fairs in Massachusetts 2026: A Vendor's and Visitor's Guide
- Snowport Holiday Market 2026: What to Know Before You Visit
- Cape Cod & Berkshires Craft Fair Circuit 2026
Details in this guide come from the Nantucket Island Chamber of Commerce's website and event listings, and from the Steamship Authority and Hy-Line Cruises websites, as of late September 2026. Confirm the schedule, marketplace hours and ferry times on the official Christmas Stroll page before you go.
Last updated: September 2026
