Saturday & Sunday, March 23-24— Vermont leads the nation by a commanding margin as the top maple producing state. Total U.S. maple syrup production in 2018 was 4.1 million gallons, with Vermont’s contribution accounting for more than 1.9 million of those gallons. In the spirit of friendly competition (‘tis the season of March Madness after all), Maple Open House Weekend, March 23-24 , is a chance for Vermont sugar makers to do their victory dance while opening the doors of their sugarhouses for visitors traveling from near and far wanting to see, taste, and experience firsthand why people should think of Vermont first when they think of maple syrup.
With an estimated 40,000 visitors touring the state for last year’s event, the state expects that number to grow with the expansion and draw from 22 new participating locations on the map in 2019.
Not all just fun and games (though there is plenty of that to be had), visitors will be welcomed by sugar maker hosts who are eager to educate and share with the public the sap to syrup process. With each sugarhouse providing a different experience, visitors are encouraged to plan travel routes to visit sugarhouses in all corners of the state.
Some traditional open house activities include sampling syrup; pancake breakfasts; horse-drawn sleigh rides; sugar-on-snow parties; and plenty of maple products to taste including maple donuts, maple cotton candy and maple creemees.
For more information and a map of the 138 participating sugar houses, visit vermontmaple.org/mohw.
