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Town and Chamber urge planning changes after Daffodil Weekend attendance spikes; officials seek more staff, restrooms and trash management
Summary
Culture & Tourism presented a post‑event report saying Daffodil Weekend attendance rose roughly 26–33% year‑over‑year (estimated under 18,000 attendees). The town recommended requiring the Chamber to provide more paid staff or volunteers, additional restrooms and more trash receptacles; the Chamber signaled willingness to work with the town on long‑range planning.
The town’s Culture and Tourism office presented a post‑event report at the May 20 Select Board meeting that documented a large increase in attendance at Daffodil Weekend 2026 and identified crowd management, parking, restroom capacity and trash removal as operational concerns.
The culture and tourism presenter said tracking data and internal reports show attendance increased roughly 26–33% compared with recent years, with final counts expected but preliminarily “a little under 18,000” participants. The report flagged crowd size, pedestrian movement, traffic and parking management challenges, isolated open‑container incidents and substantial post‑event trash at some locations.
The report recommended that the Chamber of Commerce be required, for future events, to hire additional paid staff or recruit more volunteers to manage parking and crowds, to secure more restroom capacity and to contract for additional trash pickup. The presenter said the Chamber would be responsible for the cost of any additional trash pickup and that the town will require stronger operational plans going forward.
Kieran McCloskey, president of the Nantucket Island Chamber of Commerce, told the board the Chamber sees the event as a 50‑year tradition and an economic driver for local businesses. “We see this as an opportunity,” McCloskey said, and he said the Chamber is prepared to partner with the town to develop longer‑term strategies and to provide data on attendance trends.
Select Board members debated operational tradeoffs: some emphasized Daffodil Weekend’s economic benefits and urged relatively modest operational fixes (more trash cans and porta‑potties), while others asked the Chamber and town to consider changing the event date to avoid school vacation and to plan further ahead so staffing can be hired or contracted. Several board members recommended prioritizing anticipatory planning and making staffing or vendor requirements mandatory for large events.
The town indicated it will work with the Chamber, public safety, DPW and other stakeholders to require improved operational plans for future Daffodil Weekends, and to consider calendar adjustments if necessary. The Culture and Tourism office said it will provide final attendance numbers and continue to discuss specific operational requirements with the Chamber.
