"Have a SPOOKY time with the ponies before our 98th season ends!" That was the Paragon Carousel's send-off for its Spooktacular on Sunday, October 25: one-dollar rides all day and a "Kiddie Kostume" contest at 2 p.m. at 205 Nantasket Avenue. The carousel billed that day as the end of its 98th season, and its calendar lists nothing for November or December.
Most of what fills the next eight weeks happens at a few addresses on Nantasket Avenue and Main Street. The Hull Lifesaving Museum and the Hull Public Library run most of the dated events. The Hull Nantasket Chamber of Commerce adds one big shopping day. Two Saturdays carry most of the action, and on each one the times line up well enough to fit two events into one day.
The beach side goes quiet, and parking goes free
Getting around is the first thing that changes. According to the Paragon Carousel's visitor page, DCR parking lots at Nantasket are free in the off-season. That runs from the Tuesday after Labor Day through the Friday before Memorial Day weekend. A beach walk in November costs nothing to park, and so does a quick stop at the boardwalk end of Nantasket Avenue on your way to an event.
Inland, the Trustees' Weir River Farm sits just over the line at 140 Turkey Hill Lane in Hingham. Its trails are free and open daily from sunrise to sunset. The barnyard is open only during scheduled programs. In season, May through November, that means Saturdays and other special events. The farm lists Barnyard Story Hour on November 3 and a Field to Felting workshop on November 4. November is the last month the barnyard opens on Saturdays, so the trails are the year-round draw.
Saturday, November 14: the museum's double bill
The Hull Lifesaving Museum, headquartered at 1117 Nantasket Avenue, has the fullest late-fall program in town. Its exhibit on view now is "Pawsitively Heroic!" Its busiest day of the season is Saturday, November 14, when it runs two events at two buildings:
| Time | Event | Location | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Comfort Birds Carving Workshop | Hull Lifesaving Museum, 1117 Nantasket Ave. | $45 per person |
| 2 p.m. | "In the Whale" film screening | Windmill Point Boathouse, 185 Main St. | $30 per person |
The morning workshop brings back retired Air Force Lt. Col. Mike Davison, whom the museum calls a beloved community member and master woodcarver. Participants spend three hours carving a small, hand-sized bird. You can keep it, or donate it to the museum for someone in need or to support veterans and their families. The workshop is capped at 15 people, and the museum says spots fill quickly.
The workshop ends at 1 p.m. and the film starts an hour later at the Windmill Point Boathouse, so one person can do both. "In the Whale" runs about 80 minutes. The museum describes it as the true story of a fisherman who survived being swallowed by a whale. Registration and tickets for both are on the museum's events page.
The same morning, the Hull Public Library's Adult Craft Club meets from 10 a.m. to noon at 9 Main St., overlapping the carving workshop. If you want to craft that Saturday but don't get one of the 15 carving seats, the library is the alternative.
Saturday, November 28: a morning in Weymouth, an afternoon at the Resort
Two weeks later, the Saturday after Thanksgiving has the same shape as November 14. There's a museum event in the morning and something else in the afternoon, timed so you can catch both.
- 10 a.m. to noon: "A Tale of Two Colonies." The Hull Lifesaving Museum leads a post-Thanksgiving walking tour about Plymouth and Wessagusset, the settlement Thomas Weston founded two years after Plymouth in what is now Weymouth. The listing gives the meeting point as the Great Hill Parking Lot, 95 Bradley Rd., North Weymouth, and the cost is $15. The museum's map text gives 92 Bradley Road instead, so check the address when you register.
- 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Hull Holiday Showcase. The Hull Nantasket Chamber of Commerce marks Small Business Saturday at the Nantasket Beach Resort, 45 Hull Shore Drive. The Chamber lists holiday gifts, decorations, home décor, handmade items, local apparel, and coastal holiday arts and crafts from local professional artisans.
The tour ends at noon, and the Showcase stays open until 4, so there's plenty of time to drive back across the Hull line. Boathouse Bistro Beachfront shares the 45 Hull Shore Drive address. Its website lists service from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Sundays, 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. It also promotes a Thursday prime-rib dinner. Those are its posted hours, not a promise for the winter, so call ahead on a holiday weekend.
Weeknights belong to the library
Weekends have the events, but most weeknight programming comes from the Hull Public Library at 9 Main St. Its November calendar includes:
- Saturday, November 7, 10 to 11 a.m.: a workshop on holiday stress
- Thursday, November 12, 5 to 7 p.m.: Adult Craft Club, evening session
- Wednesday, November 18, 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.: Adult Book Club
- Thursday, November 19, 5:30 to 6:45 p.m.: Writers Support Group
- Saturday, November 21, 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.: Dungeons & Dragons
- Monday, November 30, 6 to 7 p.m.: Queer Book Club
Weekly programs continue through November: Monday evening yoga, Tuesday morning gentle yoga, Wednesday preschool story time, and Tai Chi at noon on Fridays.
The town is running a weeknight series of its own. The Hull Times calendar lists a free six-week Civics Academy from November 5 to December 16, generally on Tuesday evenings from 6 to 8 p.m. The first session falls on a Thursday and the last on a Wednesday.
The museum also hosts a recurring morning program. Its 1st Friday Veterans' Coffee Hour is free and open to all veterans in the Boat Room. Each session has a special focus and includes a community calendar and updates on veteran services. The museum lists a 9 a.m. start. The Hull Times calendar gives 9 to 10:30 a.m. for November 6 at the Boat House, 189 Main St. The museum's number is (781) 925-5433 if you want to confirm. December's first Friday is December 4.
December's three dates to plan around
December has fewer events, and three of them stand out:
- Sunday, December 6: Last day of the "New Fall Season" show at Hull Artists' Gallery Nantasket, 121 Nantasket Ave., which opened September 13. The gallery calls itself year-round, but the hours on its page are summer hours, so check before you go.
- Saturday, December 19, 9 a.m.: Wreaths Across America at Hull Village Cemetery, according to the Town of Hull calendar.
- Monday, December 21, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.: A free Winter Concert at the library with South Shore Conservatory musicians Sarah Troxler and Donald Zook. Donations are welcome, and the library asks you to register.
The library's book clubs keep going around those dates. Its December calendar has Mystery Book Club on December 1 from 1 to 2 p.m. and Movie Discussion Club on December 3 from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Adult Book Club meets December 16 from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m., and Dungeons & Dragons returns December 19 from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Where to eat when you're out
Several Hull restaurants post hours that run past the summer, though none of them promises a winter schedule:
- Schooners Fine Food & Spirits, 157 Nantasket Ave.: Its website lists 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day.
- South Shore Taco Guy, 165b Nantasket Ave.: An ad in the Hull Times 2026 Summer Guide lists seven-day service from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Nanny B's Deli and Ice Cream, Nantasket Avenue near Park Avenue: The Hull Times Summer Guide reports that the owners plan to stay open year-round.
- Jake's Seafood, 50 George Washington Blvd.: Advertised in the same guide as open April through November, so the season is nearly over.
The calendar, by date
| Date | What | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Fri., Nov. 6 and Fri., Dec. 4 | Veterans' Coffee Hour | Hull Lifesaving Museum |
| Sat., Nov. 14 | Comfort Birds Carving Workshop, 10 a.m. | 1117 Nantasket Ave. |
| Sat., Nov. 14 | "In the Whale," 2 p.m. | Windmill Point Boathouse, 185 Main St. |
| Sat., Nov. 28 | "A Tale of Two Colonies," 10 a.m. | Great Hill lot, North Weymouth |
| Sat., Nov. 28 | Hull Holiday Showcase, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. | Nantasket Beach Resort |
| Sun., Dec. 6 | "New Fall Season" closes | Gallery Nantasket, 121 Nantasket Ave. |
| Sat., Dec. 19 | Wreaths Across America, 9 a.m. | Hull Village Cemetery |
| Mon., Dec. 21 | Winter Concert, 6:30 p.m. | Hull Public Library, 9 Main St. |
If you have relatives coming for Thanksgiving and want to work out which of these dates is worth planning around, I'm glad to talk it through. Hull's off-season is one of my favorite parts of the South Shore year. Let's Connect with Poppy Troupe whenever you're ready.
