November 30 - December 2, 2018
In 1973, the founders of the original Nantucket Christmas Stroll were merely trying to prevent islanders from escaping to Cape Cod, 26 miles across the Sound, to do their holiday shopping.
That year, in an effort to keep shoppers on the island to shop local, merchants kept their stores open late the first Friday in December. That initial Stroll, christened by merchants as a "Christmas Shoppers Stroll" a mere three hours in duration, was proclaimed a huge success. Shopkeepers entertained shoppers with wine, hot chocolate, tea, mulled cider, fruitcake, and holiday cookies while they perused crafts, books, clothes and wares, and other holiday gift items. In subsequent years, the event grew exponentially, drawing larger crowds until it became a nationally- and, ultimately, internationally-renowned holiday event.
