The Harvest on Nantucket Island, MA

The Hidden Gem of Massachusetts

Nantucket is one of the most beautiful places in New England for residents and tourists alike. There may be no better time to visit than during the annual Harvest Festival.

The Harvest Festival is actually a series of events that are held beginning in September and finish in late November. The events include The Cranberry Harvest Festival, The annual Clam Chowder Contest, Nantucket Restaurant week, and the Nantucket Historical Association Harvest Fair.

The events include such activities as bobbing for apples, pumpkin decorating, colonial era games, and much more. These events are for the whole family whether you are visiting for the day or a year round resident of Nantucket Island.

Many people that have come as tourists to the various family friendly events have fallen in love with the old world charm found on the island and decided to become full time residents of Nantucket.

Nantucket is a lovely place to call home and is one of the few real estate markets that show no sign of slowing down. In fact the median price of a home on Nantucket Island is $1.35 million dollars. This is more than one million dollars higher than the average home that is sold on the mainland. There are very few homes on the market for less than one million dollars which can make it difficult for a year round resident to purchase a home.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor the mean annual salary of the 15,100 people employed on the Island year round was $41,740 dollars. The leading industries on Nantucket Island are, Construction, Education, health and social services, Arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation and food services.

The island is accessible by boat or plane. During the summer season there are many options to get to get there from the mainland. There are several small airlines that make the fifteen minute trip to and from the island as well as many boating options. In the off season be sure to plan your trip in advance.

The Steamship authority provides year round service, but if the weather turns rough there can be delays. Nantucket Island is about twenty-five miles off of the coast of mainland Massachusetts.

The small community is a place that is defined by the character of the 12,000 year round residents, but influenced by the 40,000 other people that call Nantucket Island home in the summer months.

Many of the summer residents have left the island before the Harvest Festival begins so this is an ideal time to come see all the island has to offer. The crowds are greatly diminished, the rentals are less expensive, and the locals will be more apt to make an out of towner feel at home.