20th Annual Nantucket Cold Turkey Plunge

#PlungeDayYourWay

Written by Arielle Holmes
Photos courtesy of various photographers and artists

The Nantucket Atheneum Cold Turkey Plunge is one of the island’s most memorable holiday traditions. Every year since 2002, thousands of people have participated in this exhilarating Thanksgiving event, which is the largest and most important fundraiser of the year for the Weezie Library for Children.

The Plunge was started by a small group of dedicated library supporters and has skyrocketed into a fundraiser that brings in up to $100,000 for the children’s library each year. In past years, anyone from locals to day-trippers to Joe Biden have gathered at Children's Beach, decked out in pilgrim costumes, turkey hats and speedos, excited to rush into the frigid water.

Last year, the Turkey Plunge turned into a virtual celebration, but it wasn't the first time the Plunge took a change of direction. Lisa Lothian, assistant for development at the Atheneum, recalls her most memorable Turkey Plunge from two years ago. It was the Thanksgiving of 2019, and it was raining. She recalls the registration table being moved to the bandstand at Children's Beach and relocating the t-shirt table to the heated “Turkey Oven” tent. Ultimately, that stormy day brought in their highest fundraising income, an outstanding $125,000.

This year, the Plunge is the most versatile yet. The entire month of November is open to plunging, even the days after Thanksgiving. The way you plunge is up to you: in one of Nantucket’s wavy oceans, any body of water around the world, a dip in any pool, or even just a quick splash of a hose. Lisa recalled last year a woman participating in the plunge by having her son dump a bucket of water over her from their brownstone apartment in Boston.

Prizes will be awarded in the following categories:

1. Furthest From Nantucket
2. Top Three Fundraisers
3. Most Creative Venue/Style
4. Most Spirited - Costumes encouraged