Although maple syrup season runs until mid April, most events in the Kawarthas are wrapping up in March. If you haven’t had a chance yet to celebrate the iconic Canadian product, here are three events you can check out this weekend.
Buckhorn Maplefest at McLean Berry Farm
The final weekend of the 22nd Annual Buckhorn Maplefest takes place from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, March 28th and Sunday, March 29th at McLean Berry Farm south of Buckhorn.
Whether it’s going for a hay wagon ride, eating pancakes with fresh maple syrup, or seeing how maple syrup is made, the annual festival offers something for everyone.
You can try your hand at tapping a maple tree or take a hike through the sugar bush on snowshoes. There’ll be live music all day with Curtis Driedger and Ken Brown on Saturday and Glen Caradus and Phil on Sunday.
Admission is $7 for adults and children (free for children under 2 years of age) or $25 for a family of four. A hay wagon ride is included in the cost of admission, but food and other items are extra.
Everyone is welcome, but the hosts request that you leave your dogs at home. For more information and directions, visit www.mcleanberryfarm.com.
Maple Syrup Day at the Ganaraska Forest Centre
You can take a guided tour of the Maple Valley sap-collecting route and then listen to tales of traditional maple syrup making around the campfire, as the sap boils in the outdoor cauldron. There will be demonstrations of native pioneer syrup making methods and modern sap collection systems.
You can also visit the sugar shack operation and learn how a sap evaporator works. Children can participate in craft making and face painting, before everyone sits down and enjoys a classic pancake breakfast.
Admission is $12 per adult and $6 per child (16 years of age and younger). Purchase your tickets at the gatehouse.
For more information and directions, visit www.ganaraskaforestcentre.ca.
Sunderland Maple Syrup Festival
The family festival runs from from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday.
In addition to the all-day pancake breakfast running all weekend and a bus tour to Harlaine Maple Products’s sugar shack, this town-wide event has a lot of things to do for the family, including:
- a midway in the parking lot of Sunderland Arena, which opens Friday from 4 to 9 p.m. and runs on Saturday and Sunday
- Jungle Cat World on Saturday and Sunday, offering visitors a unique opportunity to see and experience wild species
- the Canadian Raptor Conservancy’s “Birds of Prey” show on Sunday, where you can see a vulture, an owl, an eagle, a falcon, and a hawk
- Pioneer Museum, native drummers, and a rope-making demonstration
- horse and wagon rides around town
- bus tours to Salem Alpacas and the Smith’s Teledale Farm — where you can see robots milk dairy cows
- a Fine Art Show, Art and Craft show, and Big Book Sale
- Bath tub races and tractor pulls
- entertainer Trulee Odd, who performs crazy antics like juggling fire while on stilts
- Outdoor vendors and more.
Admission is free, although some events and activities have an additional cost.
For a complete schedule of events and directions, visit www.maplesyrupfestival.ca.
