This weekend the island that I call home is kicking off spring with our famous Daffodil Festival. Ask anyone who knows me and they will tell you that “Daffodil Day” is my favorite holiday. I know I know it’s not a real holiday anywhere but Nantucket, but I’m telling you it’s better than Christmas!
The Daffodil Festival on Nantucket is the first official weekend Nantucket residents, both seasonal and year round, come out of hiding after the long quiet winter to celebrate. We celebrate this early blooming flower, the beautiful island of Nantucket, and the cute little village of ‘Sconset. Islanders will dress up in yellow attire and celebrate Spring, pretending it feels like 70 degrees when the temperature is really closer to 40. But who cares! There are antique cars to admire, themed picnics to dine on, and ladies with daffodil gilded hats pouring glasses of champagne. Cheers!
Why do I love this celebratory weekend so much? First of all this weekend hits all of my pillars of health – Nutrition, fitness, and self-wealth, and above all else this weekend makes me HAPPY! I’m happy to see old friends who are back for the season, I’m happy to see the sun setting later than 5:00pm, and I’m happy to see the town alive and well after a sleepy winter. To me, Daffodil weekend is the first day of the year and it sings of new beginnings and warmer days to come. While you may not be on Nantucket to celebrate this spring festival take the time to nurture yourself over the weekend by doing at least one thing that you love.
Daffodil Festival highlights to make you SMILE:
- Daffodil Festival Children’s Parade! Swing by Children’s Beach and watch the island’s youth parade through the park on bikes, scooters, and skateboards that are adorned in their best daffy attire.
- Daffodil Festival Hat Pageant – Who doesn’t love an excuse to dress up! Following the Children’s Parade you will see over the top hats adorned with a fun daffy theme.
- Antique car parade – Not only will you be able to view some of the most incredible historic vehicles, but these cars and their passengers are decked out in the most creative themes adding a fun twist to the traditional car parade.
- And then there is the picnic and that brings us to food!!!!
The culmination of the whole festival is the Daffodil Tailgate Picnic. The antique cars with their cute and clever themes line the street and set out their perfectly paired picnic spread. From tea sandwiches to raw bars, you’ll find it all!
Many clients have asked me how to eat healthy when not dining at home. When you’re navigating any party spread take these four rules into consideration.
- Set your intentions. Check out all there is to offer and map out a game plan before you start to sample everything.
- Don’t skip the veggies, even if that means you have to eat the garnish.
- Indulge, but make a conscious decision in what you choose. Pick one or two small samplings of desserts and stick to your game plan from rule number one.
- No hitting! Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t stick to these rules… After all it is a celebration and there is always tomorrow.
If you’re looking for a healthy, fun and easy appetizer to bring to any party or event check out this colorful veggie platter with a Greek Yogurt Avocado dip. It is not only delicious but also super easy to make. *Find the recipe at the bottom of this post.
I’ve touched on how to indulge in self-wealth and keeping a nutritious diet and now you’re probably asking how does the Daffodil Festival fulfill our fitness needs?
The Daffy 5K of course! Sunday, May 1, 2016 at 9:00 am The Nantucket Triathlon club hosts this festive race through the village of Sconset and is a fun run for all ages.
If running is not your thing here are a few other activities to get you moving:
- Yoga at Greater Light – Start your weekend with a Yoga class with Dharma Yoga at the Nantucket Historical Association’s Greater Light museum Saturday at 9:00am.
- Bike the ‘Sconset Bike Path – Grab your bike and take a scenic ride along the Milestone Road bike path on Saturday at noon. The tailgate picnic will be in full swing when you arrive.
- ‘Sconset Bluff Walk – Once in ‘Sconset, after you get your fill of picnic treats, follow the “bluff’s” edge for a scenic walk toward the Sankaty Light house.
Wherever you are and whatever you decide to do this weekend make a plan to have a healthy weekend by doing something that makes you smile, fills you belly with delicious and healthy food, and gets you moving!
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Greek Yogurt Veggie Dip Recipe
Ingredients:
- 6 oz plain Greek Yogurt
- ½ Avocado
- Dash of Sea Salt
Directions:
- In a food processor or with an immersion blender combine avocado and Greek yogurt and blend until smooth
- Add salt to taste
- Pour into a dish and enjoy with your favorite vegetables
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