Maple syrup season is well underway and producers are excited to welcome visitors and showcase the 2024 crop of maple syrup during the eighth annual Maple Weekend, April 6 and 7.
Hosted by the Ontario Maple Syrup Producers’ Association (OMSPA), Maple Weekend is a free, two-day, family-friendly event that celebrates Ontario’s maple heritage and invites visitors to head out to visit the sugarbush and savour the flavours of spring.
Local venues include Sugarstone Farm Maple Syrup at 150 Lindsay’s Hill Rd., Trout Creek, and Hubbert’s Maple Products, 199 Maple Valley Road, Sundridge.
See: 'Maple Weekend' promises a sweet experience in this area next weekend
“Spring is the most exciting time of the year for maple syrup producers, especially when we get an early run as we did this year,” said Randal Goodfellow, OMSPA President. “Maple syrup producers across the province are looking forward to opening up their sugarbush for visitors and inviting them to join in the celebration of the sweetest time of the year.”
the event comes as news that the Algonquin Maple Syrup Producers Association is hosting the 2024 annual meeting and summer tour from July 17 to July 20 in North Bay.
“It doesn’t matter if it is an old technique or a new technique, there is always something to learn from other people. It could be as many as 17,000 taps or as few as four trees, there is always something to be learned, tips to pick up from other people,” shared Bill Hubbert, director of the Algonquin Branch of the Ontario Maple Syrup Producers Association, and owner of Hubbert’s Maple Products.
See: North Bay to host hundreds of Ontario's maple syrup producers
This year marks the 8th annual Maple Weekend, and visitors can expect to experience the best of maple season. Maple Weekend features two full days of activities and specials at participating sugarbushes across the province. Running from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on both days. Visitors can expect to sample maple syrup, get out on the trails in a working sugarbush, eat maple taffy, get an inside peek into how maple syrup is produced, and stock up on this year’s crop of maple syrup.
Officially launched in 2015, Maple Weekend has been a tremendous success for both producers and visitors says a news release. Maple Weekend is a past nominee for Destination Ontario’s Tourism Event of the Year and draws roughly 20,000 visitors to rural sugarbushes across the province each year.
In 2024, there will be 75 producers taking part in Maple Weekend.
A list of participating Maple Weekend maple syrup producers is available on the Maple Weekend website, along with further details about specials and activities for visitors at the 75 locations across the province. Visitors are invited to visit the Maple Weekend website at www.mapleweekend.ca for more details.
