Photo Credit: maplesyrupfest.com
By Rebecca Hamill-Nobrega
The Sugar Bush Maple Syrup Festival is back in Ontario, featuring wagon rides, demonstrations, family-friendly crafts, kids entertainment and signature maple syrup.
The Festival starts this weekend and runs until April 6, taking place in three locations: Bruce’s Mill Conservation Area, in Stoufville, Kortright Center for Conservation, in Woodbridge and Terra Cotta Conservation Area, in Ballinafad.
Each spot provides convenient and accessible ways to take part in the festivities, and the schedule for availabilities can be found here.
The Maple Syrup festival is great for families, and also allows schools to bring their classes and take part in guided maple syrup walks, maple syrup demonstrations and other activities.
“I bring my family here every year. It’s a great way to be interactive and take part in activities you wouldn’t do on an everyday basis”, said Victoria Trileshinky, a regular attendee of the Sugar Bush festival.
There are many demonstrations going on that look at syrup production, said Adrian O’Driscoll, Supervisor of Education at Kortright Centre for Conservation.
O’Driscoll said there is a First Nations Aboriginal station, a pioneer demonstration where there are costumed interpreters cooking maple syrup over the fire and cast iron cauldrons, and a presentation of how maple syrup is made with modern production techniques.
Admission is $10 for adults and $6.50 for children.
“There’s a lot of pancakes,” said O’ Driscoll. “Last year, we served over 60,000 pancakes and had over 5,000 visitors between the different sites.”
O’ Driscoll said it’s going to be an excellent way to get outdoors, get some fresh air, have some good quality family and friends time, and welcome in the spring with a great Canadian tradition.”
“What I like about working here is that you get to sample maple syrup quite often and you see a lot of smiling faces. The kids are happy and everybody’s always having a good time,” he said.
What to expect for this weekend
Maple Syrup Festival with Terra Cotta
It’s all about the children
Photos Courtesy of Maple Syrup media
This year, during the Easter weekend, there’s going to be an easter egg hunt on from April 3 to 6. Other activities include face painting, balloon twister, a reptile show,a magic show and several others.
