A large brawl broke out Saturday on Federal Street during the 51st Nantucket Christmas Stroll as hundreds watched Santa's arrival. Video shows men aged roughly 20 to 60 arguing, shoving and then engaging in a wider melee that witnesses described as "mayhem." Nantucket police responded about 2 p.m.; no arrests have been reported and the investigation is ongoing.
Brawl Erupts During Nantucket Christmas Stroll as Santa Arrives
Nantucket Police are investigating a brawl that broke out at a Christmas celebration on December 6, 2025.
A large street fight broke out Saturday during the 51st Nantucket Christmas Stroll on Federal Street, police said. The clash, captured on video, unfolded as hundreds of people had gathered to watch the arrival of Santa Claus in the affluent island community.
A general view of the shoreline in Nantucket, Massachusetts, Friday, Sept. 27, 2024.
Footage shows a group of men, reportedly ranging in age from their 20s to their 60s, arguing and shoving in the middle of the street before the crowd split into two factions. In one cluster, two older men exchanged pushes; elsewhere a younger man was shoved and then tackled to the ground. The confrontation quickly escalated into a broader brawl with several people trading heavy blows.
A view of a marina in Nantucket Island.
"It was kind of like the Jets and the Sharks from 'West Side Story,' only in Ralph Lauren and Burberry," a witness told Kiss108, adding: "It was 20-somethings versus, like, 60-somethings. It was crazy. It was mayhem."
Officers with the Nantucket Police Department responded to the scene at about 2 p.m. According to the department, no arrests had been made at the time of the update and the investigation is ongoing. Authorities have not publicly identified a motive for the confrontation.
Local officials and event organizers have not released further details. Organizers typically draw large holiday crowds to the annual stroll, and authorities say they will review video and witness statements as part of the investigation.
