Maple Sugar Festival

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Discover all things maple! Venture onto the Nature Center’s Maple History Trail to learn how tree tapping methods evolved and get hands-on with the tools of the trade. Watch the Sugar House evaporator transform sap into thick, amber maple syrup, and in the Historic Village savor tales of maple sugaring origins with visiting Haudenosaunee storytellers. Plus, indulge in our special pancake breakfast! Reservations required (tickets go on sale March 1st.)

Please note: Due to weather conditions, handicap accessibility may be limited. Scout-friendly.

Start your visit at the Nature Center and walk the Maple History Trail. As you hike through the sugarbush you'll see more trees tapped with modern tubing and stop at stations to see how collecting sap has changed over time.

• Visit our sugarhouse and see sap turn to syrup.
• Learn to identify a sugar maple tree, how tall they grow, and how big and old they need to be in order to tap them.
• Enjoy Haudenosaunee origin tales of maple sap with storytellers.
• Try your hand at tapping a tree, or making a tin ornament ($)
• Go back in time to the early 19th century and see some of the techniques and tools that early settlers would use to collect sap in order to make it into maple sugar.
• Grab some delicious maple products and other treats ($).

At the Nature Center and in the Historic Village you can also:

• Stop by Livingston-Backus for a taste of something maple-licious
• See how villagers preserved food before the invention of refrigerators
• Pickup a take-and-make tin ornament kit ($)
• Visit village tradesmen like the Cooper or Tinsmith

The Sugar Shack, Nature Center, and Historic Village OPEN AT 10 am and will CLOSE at 3 pm.

Pancake Breakfast

Fuel up for your sugaring adventure with freshly made pancakes, sausage, milk, juice, coffee, tea and hot cocoa. Top off your morning with honest-to-goodness, real maple syrup made in New York State.

Breakfast Price:

$12 per person age 13 & above

$10 for kids 3-12

All children 2 & under are FREE!

Breakfast seatings run every 45 minutes from 9:30 am-12:30 pm. Gluten-free pancakes and vegan oatmeal available upon request.