The Nantucket Wine & Food Festival will return in 2025 at a new venue, Bartlett’s Farm, following a summer marked by a contentious hostile takeover attempt that threw the event’s future into uncertainty. Festival owner Nancy Bean confirmed the move on Thursday, with the festival set to run from May 14 to May 18, 2025.
This announcement comes after Bean reached a partial settlement with the White Elephant Hotel last week, resolving a portion of the legal dispute that had threatened the festival’s return to its longtime location. However, despite the settlement, the festival will not be hosted at the White Elephant in 2025. Instead, Bartlett’s Farm, known for its commitment to preserving Nantucket’s agricultural heritage, will take center stage as the primary venue.
“Bartlett’s Farm represents everything we love about Nantucket—the preservation of tradition, the celebration of our island’s agricultural roots, and the constant evolution that keeps our community vibrant,” Bean said in a statement. “The farm’s natural beauty and rich history provide the perfect canvas for creating an extraordinary festival experience.”
The dispute that led to the festival’s relocation began in June when Gordon’s Fine Wines & Liquor, a Boston-based distributor, attempted a hostile takeover of the event. In response, Bean filed a federal lawsuit against both Gordon’s and the White Elephant Hotel, accusing them of unfair business practices. The legal battle has since evolved, with Bean and the White Elephant agreeing to a settlement.
Under the terms of the settlement, the White Elephant Hotel has committed to refraining from hosting any events involving Gordon’s or other wine festivals during the May 2025 or May 2026 period. As a result, the hotel will no longer be involved in the festival, and the lawsuit against it has been dismissed. However, Bean’s legal action against Gordon’s continues, as she alleges the company engaged in deceptive practices to gain control of the festival.
Bean’s ongoing claims against Gordon’s include accusations of false advertising, breach of contract, unfair trade practices, and conspiracy. The lawsuit further asserts that Gordon’s attempted to exploit confidential financial information from Bean’s festival operations in an effort to take ownership of the event without fair compensation.
“What has become clear is that the Gordon Parties did not intend to enter into a genuine partnership with the Nantucket Wine & Food Festival,” the lawsuit states. “Rather, they sought to take control of the festival through misleading and deceptive tactics.”
Initially, Gordon’s Fine Wine had stated that it had purchased the festival, a claim it later retracted, clarifying that it was planning to organize a separate event altogether.
The Nantucket Wine & Food Festival was founded in 1996 by Denis Toner, a longtime seasonal resident of Nantucket. Bean became involved with the event in 2007 as the director of operations and later acquired it in 2012, along with business partner Mark Goldweitz. After Goldweitz’s departure, Bean became the sole owner of the festival, which she had purchased for approximately $1 million, according to the ongoing legal case.
Despite the challenges of the past year, Bean remains focused on moving the festival forward and is grateful for the support the event has received from the community and industry partners. The 2025 festival will mark a new chapter for the long-standing Nantucket tradition, set against the backdrop of Bartlett’s Farm, and promises to deliver an exceptional experience for attendees.
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