By Stephen Goodhue, courtesy of vermontvacation.com
A sugar-maker empties a bucket full of sap into a collection tank, pulled by draft horses.
A Vermont time-honored tradition
March 28-29 — STATEWIDE — Vermont’s biggest harbinger of spring, maple sugar season, kicks off in March. Vermonters know that spring has arrived when sugaring season starts. Warm days and cold nights mean that maple sap is running, and that means that sugar makers are hard at work. But they’re not so busy that they don’t want to stop to celebrate!
Vermont maple producers invite you to join them at their sugar houses on March 28 and 29 to sample not only new syrup, but other great ways to get your sweet fix. Activities will be different at each sugar house. Weather permitting, you can see first-hand how maple sap is collected and boiled down to make syrup. Some sugar makers offer horse-drawn wagon tours of their sugar bush and some have special activities for children. Others offer maple doughnuts, pancakes and syrup, maple candies or taffy-like “sugar on snow.” Because no two sugar houses are the same, it’s fun to visit more than one.
Vermont has approximately 2,000 maple syrup producers and is the largest U.S. producer of maple syrup. Vermont maple syrup is 100% natural and contains antioxidants, calcium and other beneficial minerals.
Local celebrations
Open House Weekend is March 28-29, statewide. Watch as maple syrup is being made. Activities vary by sugar house; each has its own, unique character.
Maple Fest Celebration, March 28 in Poultney, with horse-drawn carriage rides, raffle, and open sugar houses.
Maple Madness takes over Woodstock, March 28-29, featuring scavenger hunt, pancake breakfast, tree tapping, tastings, and a Maple Adventure bike ride.
Details on these and upcoming events, maple season lodging packages, and “Follow the Steam” videos are available at www.VermontVacation.com/maple. For a full listing of participating sugar shacks, visit vermontmaple.org.
Sugar Shacks operating for Open House Weekend, March 28-29
Rutland County
Cuttin’ It Sweet
4556 Monument Hill Rd., Hubbardton
Green’s Sugarhouse
1846 Finel Hollow Rd., Poultney
Mahar Maple Farm
9 Mountain Rd., Middletown Springs
Mettowee Valley Maple
429 Vt. Route 30, Pawlet
Papa John’s Sugar Shack
254 Paradise Lane, Mt. Holly
Smith Maple Crest Farm
153 Lottery Rd., Shrewsbury
Sugarhill Maple Farm
686 Cross Rd., East Wallingford
Wood Family Sugarhouse
552 Thrall Rd., Poultney
Windsor County
Elm Grove Farm
3488 Cloudland Rd., Woodstock
Green Mountain Sugar House
820 Route 100 N, Ludlow
Mom & Pop’s World’s Best Vermont Maple Syrup
3425 Brandon Mountain Rd. (Vt. Rt. 73), Rochester
Sugarbush Cheese and Maple Farm
591 Sugarbush Farm Rd., Woodstock
Top Acres Farm
171 Benedict Rd., So. Woodstock
