These Towns in Atlantic Coast Come Alive In Spring
Spring brings a burst of life and energy to the Atlantic Coast, and these seven towns know how to celebrate the season in style. Brigantine welcomes spring with the return of migratory birds while Nantucket blooms into life during its cheerful daffodil festival. Lewes sends visitors on a tulip treasure hunt, and Bar Harbor attracts umbraphiles for the 2024 Solar Eclipse. Feast on local seafood on Chincoteague Island, fly a kite in Nags Head, and surf’s up on Cocoa Beach. So pack your bags and get ready to welcome spring in these vibrant and welcoming communities along the coast.
Brigantine, New Jersey
Brigantine is a small island town north of Atlantic City. In spring, Brigantine celebrates the season with events like the Cherry Blossom Festival and the Brigantine Farmers Market, where visitors can shop for fresh farm produce, crafts, and other local goods. The market runs every Saturday from May through the end of August, come rain or shine. The town prides itself on being bike-friendly, so there’s no better time to tune up the beach cruiser and follow any of its numerous bike paths to the market. It’s hard to get lost in this family-friendly beach town.
Bird lovers won’t want to miss a trip to the North Brigantine Beach Bird Watch Tower. The two-story viewing platform is the perfect spot to watch the spring migration and the return of the shore birds. Endangered piping plovers nest along the beach in early spring, while egrets, ibis, and herons return to the marshlands.
Nantucket, Massachusetts
Nantucket celebrates the arrival of spring with the cheerful “Daffodil Festival,” during which the island blooms with thousands of vibrant daffodils, and the unofficial launch of tourist season runs from the last month of April until December’s famous “Christmas Stroll.” Festivities include daffodil-themed antique car and dog parades, a hat pageant, and the tightly-judged annual daffodil flower show. Over 9000 people attend the show yearly, a boom to the local economy. Spring also marks the announcement of the line-up for the 2024 Nantucket Book Festival—a 4-day event celebrating the island’s love of reading and writing, firmly establishing the island as a haven for literary arts,
When not stopping to smell the flowers, take a stroll around Nantucket Island’s quaint shops, including Mitchell’s Book Corner—a much-loved bookstore on Main Street that has been amassing a following of bibliophiles for over 50 years. Pick up a beach book or a novel by a local author, or bring the kids on a rainy day to the cozy children’s area. Across the street, stop for ice cream at the old-fashioned soda fountain in the Nantucket Pharmacy, which has been satisfying the island’s sweet tooth since 1937.
Lewes, Delaware
The seaside town of Lewes welcomes spring with the 15th annual Lewes Tulip Festival, held over three weekends from the end of March to the beginning of April 2024. Tulips can be fickle, though, and weather and temperature play a vital role in the timing of the blooms, but the celebration continues. Visitors to Lewes can pick up a Tiptoe to the Tulips map distributed throughout the town and enjoy discovering the blooms in over 20 locations.
The Cape Henlopen State Park, where Delaware Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean, is a great way to learn about the ecosystems along the 6-mile coastline. On a self-guided tour, visitors can pack a picnic and explore the park with a free borrowed bicycle. Guided tours of the Fort Miles Historic Area in the park are available for history buffs. Visitors get a firsthand view of the soldiers’ barracks, a fire control tower, and the Fort Miles Museum, a strategic defense post during World War II, where more than 2,500 troops were tasked with protecting the United States against invasions by sea.
Bar Harbor, Maine
Spring showers and flowers are what you can expect in Bar Harbor, where temperatures range from 30 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. This year, there’s no better time to plan a long weekend visit to Bar Harbor this spring to join the “umbraphiles” (Latin for “shadow lovers”) as eclipse chasers call themselves for the 2024 Solar Eclipse on April 8th. For eclipse aficionados, the eclipse in Bar Harbor will be a deep partial eclipse with a magnitude of 97%; for eclipse newbies, the magnitude of a solar eclipse is how much of the sun's diameter is covered by the moon. For everyone else, the solar eclipse in the town of Bar Harbor begins at 2:20 pm and ends at 4:41 pm. Remember that the only way to watch the eclipse safely is with special eclipse glasses (sunglasses won’t work).
There is no shortage of beautiful hotels, cottages, inns, and B&Bs in Bar Harbor, but book the weekend early to reserve a stay at one of the town’s original seaside cottages, like the Yellow House Inn located steps away from downtown, the Saltair Inn B&B on the waterfront, or the historic Sand Bar Cottage that blends old world charm with modern-day luxury.
Chincoteague Island, Virginia
Chincoteague Island welcomes spring with the “54th Annual Chincoteague Seafood Festival” held on the first Saturday in May. While the event's goal may be to promote the seafood industry in Virginia, the festival is just one more reason for the islanders to get together. As well as an array of fresh local seafood, including little neck clams and raw oysters from the world-renowned Tom’s Cove Aqua Farms, which harvests the shellfish from the cold, clear waters around the island, live entertainment and fun family activities are also on the menu.
With more than 14,000 acres of beach, dunes, and salt marshes, it’s no wonder the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge is one of the most visited refuges in the United States. It provides visitors outstanding opportunities to learn about and enjoy wild lands and wildlife, particularly in early spring when the refuge welcomes a large population of migratory shorebirds and songbirds.
The island is home to the famous Chincoteague Ponies, and this summer marks the 99th year of the “Chincoteague Annual Pony Swim.” During the historic event, wild ponies are herded from nearby Assateague Island to Chincoteague Island by the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company's "saltwater cowboys." The Chincoteague Pony Swim has gained widespread recognition and was featured in the book “Misty of Chincoteague” by Marguerite Henry, making it a cherished part of American folklore and culture.
Nags Head, North Carolina
Finding a better place to fly a kite than in Nags Head this spring would be difficult. With gentle breezes and temperatures hovering around 70 degrees Fahrenheit, kite flying is the perfect blend of relaxation, outdoor adventure, and recreation. Nags Head hosts various events and festivals every spring, including the “52nd Annual Hang Gliding Spectacular”—one of the world's most popular hang gliding competitions. Sponsored by local business Kitty Hawk Kites, pilots from around the U.S. head to Jockey’s Ridge State Park in Nags Head to fly the four-day event.
The “37th Annual Rogallo Kite Festival,” named after the inventor of the flexible wing, is also held at the park. Visitors can fly a kite and get a free stunt-kite lesson while watching 30-foot to 100-foot kites fly overhead. After a day of kite flying, visit Lost Colony Brewery’s Waterfront Beer Garden in Nags Head to sample one of the local brewery’s English-style ales, stouts, or IPAs.
Cocoa Beach, Florida
Traveling to Cocoa Beach in the spring brings a warm respite to northerners looking for long, languid beach swims and daytime temperatures of 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. But if you need another reason to go, it is also a great place to watch the Space Coast Launches from the Cocoa Beach Pier—a historic Florida landmark. Stretching 800 feet out into the Atlantic and covering 2.5 miles of boardwalk, the pier is a great place to witness a rocket launch from the Kennedy Space Center. With a Pier Punch (served over ice in a 32-ounce souvenir bucket) from the Rikki Tiki Tavern, sit under the tavern’s thatched roof and enjoy the salt air while a rocket soars overhead.
Rent an upscale beach cruiser to traverse the sand and sidewalks from Trader Ricks on the pier or shop at Tropical Threads Boutique for that hard-to-find souvenir for friends back home in the cold. With a reputation as the “East Coast Surfing Capital,” Cocoa Beach is the perfect place to hone your board skills with a one-hour lesson from the Cocoa Beach Surf School.
These seven stunning Atlantic Coast towns offer even more opportunities for travelers to experience the beauty, culture, and excitement of springtime along the coast. From historic charm to blooming gardens, each town welcomes the season with unique events. Visitors can enjoy daffodil festivals and seafood celebrations and even witness a solar eclipse. With kites, hang gliders, and rockets filling the skies, spring on the Atlantic coast promises something for everyone to enjoy in these vibrant coastal communities.
