“I wandered lonely as a cloud that floats on high o’er vales and hills, when all at once I saw a crowd, a host, of golden daffodils; beside the lake, beneath the trees, fluttering and dancing in the breeze.”  – William Wordsworth, “Daffodils”

The Nantucket Daffodil Festival or “Daffy Day” as it is whimsically known, is a time-honored Nantucket tradition that dates back to the 1970s. The day, that is now a weekend-long bonanza, is famous for lining the streets of Nantucket with Daffodils—creating a sea of yellow—and cheerful crowds celebrating the arrival of spring.

Memorable events like the Daffodil Flower Show (put on by the Nantucket Garden Club) and the Daffodil Festival Antique Car Show and Parade are just a few that drive an influx of visitors to the island—but what really gets tails wagging is the annual Daffodil Dog Parade. “A beloved highlight of the Nantucket Daffodil Festival, the Daffodil Dog Parade is a cherished tradition that celebrates the island’s four-legged friends in full daffy spirit,” says the Nantucket Island Chamber of Commerce. “Hosted in partnership with Nantucket Island Safe Harbor for Animals (NiSHA), the event invites dogs of all shapes and sizes [even rabbits and goats some years] to don their most festive, floral-themed attire and take center stage in a lighthearted competition at Children’s Beach.”